with the advent of the age of discovery, many old trading routes such as the amber road ("pic. 4") lost importance as new ones were created. poland's importance as a caravan route between asia and europe diminished, while new local trading routes were created between the commonwealth and russia. many goods and cultural artifacts continued to pass from one region to another via the commonwealth. for example, isfahan rugs imported from persia to the commonwealth were actually known in the west as "polish rugs" ().