Begun in the 2nd century B.C., this "road" of trade stretched 4,000 miles from China to the Mediterranean
[DOC] [TLE] Silk Road [PAR] The Silk Road, or Silk Route, is a series of trade and cultural transmission routes 
that ... soldiers, nomads and urban dwellers from China to the Mediterranean Sea 
... and the Mediterranean extending over 8,000 km (5,000 miles) on land and sea
.