Concept:The Silk Routes were a network of trade routes connecting East Asia, South Asia, Europe, and North Africa, facilitating exchange of goods like silk, pottery and spices.
Explanation:Statement 1 is incorrect.
Silk routes are not limited to east-bound European silk cargoes; they refer to a complex network of overland and maritime routes for exchange in both directions.
Statement 2 is correct.
There were several silk routes, over land and by sea, linking vast regions of Asia with Europe and northern Africa.
Statement 3 is correct.
These routes existed since before the Christian Era and thrived until about the fifteenth century.
Statement 4 is correct.
Besides silk, Chinese pottery, textiles, and spices from India and Southeast Asia also traveled along these routes.
Answer:C. 2, 3 and 4