Transfusion of ideas, throughout history, between seemingly unrelated places and cultures is something that, although seems unlikely, is quiet a real phenomena. For example much has been transmitted from China and India to Europe through Muslim Spain (Andulus). Although no Chinese or Indian probably ever travelled the vast geographic distance from where they lived their ideas, their products and elements of their cultures somehow found their way across.
The route of 'transfusion' from China and India through to Europe was primarily through the Silk Road.
Muslim Spain was actually more signficant as a conduit for classical Greek thought to re-enter Europe.
These are not mutually exclusive categories, merely generalities though.
