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Article: Trade links East and West.
- Article from:
- Calliope
- Article date:
- April 1, 2009
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2009 Carus Publishing Co. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Spices that we take for granted today, such as cinnamon and pepper, were not readily available in the 1200s. People risked their lives and made their fortunes by carrying these and other valuable commodities from where they were produced to where they were needed. In those days, when journeys were measured in weeks or even months, only items that did not spoil could be traded over long distances. Silk and porcelain from China; pepper and textiles from India; cloves from Indonesia, pearls and gems from Sri Lanka; ivory, gold, and ostrich feathers from Africa; and horses and frankincense from Arabia were in great demand in other lands.