Steel and silk -- Silk in Roman society -- The Chinese empire and the Xiongnu -- The discovery of the west -- Securing the silk routes -- The Kushan empire -- The Sogdian intermediaries -- Caspian routes and the Crimea -- Black Sea voyages -- The Sarmatians -- The Parthian empire -- Parthia and...

Intro -- Table of contents -- Preface -- Introduction: Silk on the Silk Roads. Exchange between East and West in Antiquity Berit Hildebrandt -- 1. Looking towards the West - how the Chinese viewed the Romans Liu Xinru -- 2. Textiles and trade in South Asia during the Proto-Historic and Early...

Introduction -- Existing studies on China's food security -- China's food security practice in the past -- Current status of food security in China -- China's quest for food security : the challenges ahead -- China and the global food security