Over centuries travellers have been the main producers of spatial knowledge about new destinations; especially in areas where their numbers were only few, some have reached the status of highly respected pioneers without any competitors of equal standing. Certain names have represented the canon of geographical knowledge. For a long time Central asia has functioned as an interface between densely populated areas such as China, India, Persia and europe; the remote deserts, mountains and steppes had to be crossed in order to connect fertile oases, pulsating cities and networks of roads. archaeological and geographical expeditions focused on retracing the flow of innovations and inventions and tracking the dissemination of material goods and knowledge
along the ancient silk routes. Over time it became obvious that no single lines channelled these exchanges, but that a web of paths and routes enabled the crossing of deserts and mountains by caravans, expeditions and individuals on their way to better-known destinations.