“丝绸之路”作为汉唐时期东西方重要的贸易通道而闻名于世,但有迹象表明汉代以前东西方人群就已经存在着较为密切的联系,“丝绸之路”的出现也正是欧亚大陆古代东西方文化交流的产物。从考古发现看,学原地区很早就存在着“金属之路”,
The comprehensive researches on the evolution and diffusion processes of the socketed battle-axes popular in the Eurasian Steppes can reveal the relationships of Xinjiang and Northern China with the Eurasian Steppes area before the Han Dynasty. The researches show that there have been two different traditions of the socketed battle-axes, European and Asian, from the 5th to 1st millennium BC. Firstly, the European tradition diffused eastward. From the 2nd millennium BC, the Asian tradition began to spread westward. Xiniiang is the area where these two traditions of socketed battle-axes met and merged. Northern China and the Central Plains are very important to the origin of Asian tradition of the socketed battle-axes. The Central Plains influenced the Eurasian Steppes indirectly through Northern China.