Of course, in historic times East and West were connected by the Silk Road. How far back can we trace connections across Central Asia?
Glantz: This is such an interesting question to me and one that I have thought about a lot. I think the answer can be gleaned from a good read of paleoclimatic studies of the region and how the Caspian and Aral Seas in the west and the Taklamakan desert and the high mountain zones of the east and south, respectively, have affected the exploitability of the region over time. In terms of topography, the mountain passes and valleys (Ferghana, etc.) that the ancient caravans traversed were viable options for Paleolithic migrations as well. Most of our evidence of Paleolithic occupation of the region comes from the foothills of the Tien Shan and Pamirs, close to all of the major Silk Road cities. Also, there is evidence of Middle Paleolithic folks in the areas that directly abut the Taklamakan in NW China. A potentially more significant area to examine for stratified sites, however, are the steppe/desert zones of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. We know very little about this vast area and sites
