My current PhD research project was titled A Network of Consumption: The Distribution of Oriental Decorative Ceramics in Hungary and the Balkans during the Ottoman Period focuses on the Chinese porcelain, persian, Iznik and Kütahyan faience finds derived from archaeological excavations in Hungary and the Balkans. The goal of the dissertation is to identify and date the types with archaeological methods, and to analyze their spatial and chronological distribution patterns with the methodologies of historical archaeology.The driving questions the analysis has raised are related to the trading patterns of the early modern Ottoman Empire and its role in the global long-distance trade, and to the social status of these ceramic types traditionally referred to as “luxury”. An outstanding result of the analysis of roughly 2000 ceramic sherds excavated at various sites (eyalet centers, sancak centers, towns and a port town) has questioned the “luxury” quality of these objects. This argument forms a basis to suggest that these vessels were more likely everyday “coffee cups” and hardly represented the same level of quality as those in the curated collections such as the Topkapı Sarayı or the Ardebil Shrine collection. As these objects were probably available to a rather wide circle, mostly to administrative and military officials, it is likely that they were traded among the other objects called res Turcales or ‘Turkish goods’ in the contemporary sources in the European provinces of the Ottoman Empire. The fact that in the general sources related to trade they are rarely mentioned might also reinforce the idea that they were general goods travelling with all the other commercial goods traded throughout the Empire. The examination of the trading routes and the presence of Chinese porcelain in the Ottoman Empire indicates a different role of the Ottomans within the post-geographical discovery period of early modern global long-distance trade than that of the traditional paradigm. The close analysis of the porcelain sherds unearthed in the Hungarian and Balkan territories showed the most direct parallels to those included in shipwreck cargoes discovered in the Southeast Asian waters. These ships were carrying goods from China to the Southeast Asian archipelago and probably from there toward the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea ports of the Levantine trading network. Studies of the past two decades (as well as those of Halil Inalcik from much earlier) have shown the role of the Ottomans in the early modern period in maintaining the Levantine trading networks and routes through Anatolia and Rumeli. Furthermore, diplomatic relations with Southeast Asian sultanates in the 16th century are proven by written sources, suggesting that apart from diplomacy, trading relations might also have played a role in these encounters. The study of the Ottoman’s role in maintaining the Levantine trade network through their lands, connected with the analysis of the archaeological indications of this trade also raises the question of the continuance of the Silk Routes after 1500. Several economic historical studies argued for this continuation, but it has not been researched from an archaeological perspective before. As an expansion of my PhD dissertation research a deeper study of the Ottoman trading network from an archaeological perspective might contribute to this discussion and draws attention to the fact that overland trading routes throughout Eurasia did not cease to exist after the discovery of the Cape of Good Hope route. This continuation might also be detected in the sources left behind by traders, missionaries, and diplomats who travelled through these routes and maintained their vivid networks at least for another century after the Portuguese ships penetrated the Indian Ocean and attempted to take over the global long-distance trade from these communities.