Travel writer recounts Silk Road journey

Not long after the return of two mummies from the Penn Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology’s “Secrets of the Silk Road” exhibit to China earlier this month, British travel writer Colin Thubron came to talk about his own travels along the ancient trade routes. Thubron, who was invited by the Penn Museum and the Penn Humanities Forum, spoke on Saturday to a crowd of about 150.

Thubron, whose audience consisted mainly of visitors, families and faculty members, talked about his travels as described in his book, Shadow of the Silk Road. “Everything went along this route at one point in time, from amber to frankincense to even a caged lion or two,” Thubron said. “Things that traveled along this route gained a sort of mystique. Romans imagined, for instance, that silk grew on trees.”

After talking about the history of the Silk Road and how it facilitated trade from the second century B.C. to the 13th century A.D., Thubron proceeded to discuss his own travels along the road.

For eight months in 2003 and 2004, Thubron traveled from Xi’an, the Chinese province that houses the Terracotta Warriors, through Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan, to finally finish in Turkey. “I went several thousand miles by bus, truck — whatever I could find — and I’m sorry to disappoint the more romantic of you, but only occasionally by camel,” said Thubron, garnering laughs from the audience.

After recounting his cultural experiences along the road, Thubron answered questions from the audience as well as a panel consisting of director of the Penn Humanities Forum James English and director of the Penn Museum Richard Hodges.

“I need the challenge — the challenge of language, the challenge of culture. In my time, after World War II, the great fears were China and Russia. My instinct was to put a human face on them,” said Thubron in response to why his writing was focused on China, Russia and the east.

Thubron spoke of ethnic identity as well, referring to how political forces and events have shaped our idea of national borders. “If the Silk Road had anything to teach me, it was that a nation is not bound by its real past, but rather the stories it remembers and what it forgets.”

Hodges said he appreciated Thubron’s visit. “It was a rare privilege, frankly. Just a joy. His breadth of historical knowledge is fascinating,” Hodges said.

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