Trivia questions and answers, drawn fresh from the well

• Intermediate Intermediate difficulty.
• Pearl Harbor

Which Japanese admiral commanded the Pearl Harbor attack's First Air Fleet in December 1941?

Answer

Chuichi Nagumo

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• Easy Easy difficulty.
• The Silk Road

Which desert did Silk Road travelers cross between the Kunlun Mountains and the Tian Shan in the Tarim Basin?

Answer

Taklamakan Desert

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• Hard Hard difficulty.
• The Silk Road

Which Greco-Roman geographer wrote Geography, describing regions east of the Roman world including Serica?

Answer

Claudius Ptolemy

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• Easy Easy difficulty.
• The Silk Road

Which Venetian traveler became famous in Europe for his account of journeys through Yuan China and Silk Road lands?

Answer

Marco Polo

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• Easy Easy difficulty.
• The Silk Road

Which luxury fabric gave the Silk Road its modern name, although many other goods also crossed its routes?

Answer

Silk

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• Hard Hard difficulty.
• The Silk Road

Which Chinese dynasty-era general defeated the Xiongnu at the Battle of Zhizhi in 36 BCE, strengthening Han control near Silk Road routes?

Answer

Chen Tang

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• Intermediate Intermediate difficulty.
• The Silk Road

Which ancient Persian road network, built under the Achaemenid Empire, is often viewed as a predecessor of later Silk Road routes?

Answer

Royal Road

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• Hard Hard difficulty.
• The Silk Road

Which Mongol-era monk and diplomat traveled from China to Europe in the 13th century, visiting the courts of several European rulers?

Answer

Rabban Bar Sauma

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• Hard Hard difficulty.
• The Silk Road

Which ancient kingdom and city, now largely buried near Lop Nur, became known as Loulan on Silk Road routes?

Answer

Loulan

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• Intermediate Intermediate difficulty.
• The Silk Road

What name is given to the naturally preserved Bronze Age mummies found in the Tarim Basin along ancient Silk Road routes?

Answer

Tarim mummies

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• Intermediate Intermediate difficulty.
• The Silk Road

Which Buddhist cave complex near Kucha is famous for Silk Road murals in the Xinjiang region of China?

Answer

Kizil Caves

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• Intermediate Intermediate difficulty.
• The Silk Road

Which 751 battle between the Abbasids and Tang China is often linked to papermaking knowledge moving west along Silk Road networks?

Answer

Battle of Talas

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