The Sogdian Letters: Silk Road Spies and a Lost Caravan

Trade Routes That Changed Human History Forever — Fexingo History · Jul 12, 2026 · 8m · transcript

In this episode, Lucas and Luna uncover the story of the Sogdian Ancient Letters, a cache of 5th-century correspondence found in a ruined watchtower near Dunhuang. These letters reveal the perilous world of Sogdian merchants traveling the Silk Road from Samarkand to China, dealing with bandits, famine, and the collapse of order. One letter describes a woman sold into slavery, another implores a husband to return home. The letters also mention the Hephthalite Huns and the fall of the Jin dynasty. Along the way, the hosts discuss Sogdian culture, Zoroastrianism, and the network of caravanserais…