Beyond Transit and Trade: Embedded Commodity Movement in the Hexi Corridor during the Han Period (Chapter 3)

A critical reassessment of the Hexi Corridor's economic role during the Han Period challenges traditional Silk Road narratives that depict it solely as a transit zone for goods between China and Central Asia. This study reveals its deeper integration into commodity movement, moving beyond simplistic transit-and-trade models to highlight the corridor's embedded economic functions within the broader ancient Afro-Eurasian trade network. By analyzing historical and archaeological evidence, the research demonstrates how the Hexi Corridor facilitated not just the passage of goods but also their production, distribution, and consumption, offering a more nuanced understanding of its significance in early imperial China's economy.

Leese-Messing, K. (2023). 3 Beyond Transit and Trade: Embedded Commodity Movement in the Hexi Corridor during the Han Period. Handbook of Ancient Afro-Eurasian Economies, 73–144. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110607628-004