The Silk Routes were important in ancient times because they

Afacilitated the exchange of goods and ideas between

China and the Roman Empire

Ballowed gold and silver mined in China to be traded for

European furs and wool cloth

Cprovided trade links between the people of Siberia and

the people living on islands in the Bering Sea

Dprovided a conduit for trade in silk, porcelain, and costly

gems between China and Japan

Eallowed carts and carriages to travel on paved roads

across northern Asia as far west as the Caspian Sea