The Silk Road was much more than just an important trade route. In addition to the valuable trade goods that were transferred along it, many religions and technological advancements were also spread throughout the cities of Europe and Asia on it.

The Chinese had a very advanced civilization during the routes early inception. Probably the most well known inventions that were transferred along the route were known as the Great Four; gunpowder, paper, silk and the compass. These advances led to many other important discoveries and were spread throughout the known world on the Silk Road.  There were other notable technologies that were transferred along the route were moveable type, block printing, porcelain, medicines and agricultural advances.

Not all of these technologies were traded willingly. The Han Chinese guarded silk making techniques very closely, but a Han prince stole the technology and eventually it made its way to Europe in the 12th century. The Arabs aquired papermaking techniques in 750 A.D. when they captured the city of Bishkek and the group of papermakers inside.