But the fact of its presence establishes the fact of the connection.

The Pazyryk world was not isolated.

The High Altai, which might seem geographically remote and cut off from the broader world, was in fact a node in the long-distance exchange network of the Eurasian steppe.

Horses — the primary Pazyryk export — could be traded for luxury goods from both east and west.

The silk may have been one such trade good.

The presence of other long-distance materials in Pazyryk burials — lapis lazuli from Afghanistan, amber from the Baltic, and various other materials from distant sources — confirms this picture.