In Denmark and Germany amber was in use as early as the Upper Palaeolithic period, or about 40,000 to 10,000 BCE. In Latvia, processed amber survives from the Middle Neolithic Period (around 4,100 BCE). Baltic peoples started trading amber quite early and it appears in China around 1,000 BCE, valued both as a fragrance and even more as a gemstone. While some amber pieces survive from the Han dynasty (202 BCE-220 CE), these were found in tombs along the Maritime Silk Road, reflecting the localized influence of trade which brought in foreign, exotic items, rather than a genuine appreciation of amber itself. Only under the influence of nomadic kingdoms in North China, especially that of the Liao dynasty (916-1125) established by the Qidan, does amber emerge as a highly prized artistic material.