The Supporting Skills of the Mongolia-Xinjiang Silk Tea Camel Road: with the Travel Notes of O. Lattimore as the Core

Long-standing, practical skills—ranging from camel caravan logistics and route selection to market transactions and security measures—sustained the Mongolia-Xinjiang Silk Tea Camel Road as a vital trade and cultural corridor across Eurasia. Analyzing Owen Lattimore’s 1926–1927 travel notes, this study reveals how early modern camel caravans navigated environmental and social challenges through specialized knowledge in transportation, labor organization, supply chains, and information exchange. These skills, honed over time, enabled resilient trade networks that bridged distant regions, facilitating both commerce and cultural diffusion. Lattimore’s firsthand observations provide unique insights into the operational dynamics of this Silk Road branch, underscoring its historical significance.

Wei, C. (2025). The Supporting Skills of the Mongolia-Xinjiang Silk Tea Camel Road: with the Travel Notes of O. Lattimore as the Core. Povolzhskaya Arkheologiya (the Volga River Region Archaeology), 2(52), 215–232. https://doi.org/10.24852/pa2025.2.52.215.232