Emergence of Transregional networks of communication and exchange In what country it grows is quite unknown The Arabians say that the dry sticks which we call kinamomon are brought to Arabia by large birds which carry them to their nests made of mud on mountain precipices which no man can ID: 343943
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Key Concept 2.3Emergence of Trans-regional networks of communication and exchange
“In what country it grows is quite unknown. The Arabians say that the dry sticks, which we call kinamomon, are brought to Arabia by large birds, which carry them to their nests, made of mud on mountain precipices which no man can climb. The method invented to get the cinnamon sticks is this. People cut up the bodies of dead oxen into very large joints, and leave them on the ground near the nests. They then scatter, and the birds fly down and carry off the meat to their nests, which are too weak to bear the weight and fall to the ground. The men come and pick up the cinnamon. Acquired in this way, it is exported to other countries.” HerodotusSlide2Slide3
Myths and Mis-directions
A century later Theophrastus had a different story: He heard it grew in deep glens and was guarded by deadly snakes.
Herodotus also told of the flying snakes that protected Frankincense-bearing trees; that could only be driven off by burning storax. (An incense extracted from the sap of a Turkish Sweetgum Tree).Slide4
Savvy ArabsTall tales obscured the true origins of the goods being traded.
The plan allowed extraordinary prices throughout the Mediterranean basin.
Various administrations worried about trade imbalances.Slide5
Where did it come from?
Cinnamon originated in Sri Lanka and Southern India, other spices originated further a field in the Maluku Islands
The Indian and Arab merchants transported the spices to markets on the tip of Arabian and the Mediterranean
The Greeks and Romans did not have a direct route to IndiaSlide6Slide7
Why Spices?Are they really that special? ; plant extracts from dried saps, gums and resins; barks; roots; seeds; or dried fruits
Prized for their unusual scents and tastes, ward off insects or vermin; no real nutritional value
Durable, lightweight, and found in very specific places
Thought to be divineSlide8
But what is a spice?
The word spice comes from the Latin species (literally a type or kind)
Referred to types or kinds of things for which a duty (tax) was payable
The Alexandria Tariff, 5th century AD Rome, lists 44 things subject to a 25% import duty
The list includes cinnamon, cassia, ginger, white pepper, long pepper, cardamom, aloewood, myrrh but also lions, leopards, panthers, silk, ivory, tortoiseshell or Indian EunuchsSlide9
What purpose did they serve?The first case of conspicuous consumption
Demonstrated one’s wealth, power, and generosity
1st used as perfumes and incense
Also used in religious ceremonies
Greeks started cooking with them
Widespread culinary use by the end of the Classical EraSlide10
How were they transported?On the sea with the winds. The invention of the Lanteen sail dramatically increased ease of navigation at sea
The Indian Ocean routes relied on seasonal trade winds know as Monsoon Winds
Mediterranean ships were unable to navigate the open ocean and were forbidden from hugging the coast of Arabian Peninsula.Slide11Slide12Slide13
How were they transported?Caravans, relying on the camel connected previously isolated people and places
The high-built saddle invented around 200CE
A revolution in pack animals for desert regions
Made roads obsolete and wheeled transportation waned
Expanded the trading network and penetrated further into arid and desert regions.Slide14Slide15
The Great Empires are linked
Rome, Persian, Han and the Kushan of Northern India
Rome and China even established diplomatic contacts
Goods were not the only commodity exchanged:
Inventions, knowledge, languages, artistic styles, social customs, crops, disease and religious beliefs.Slide16
Technology and Crops
Technology Spread
From China: Gunpowder, Magnetic Compass, Paper, Noodles, And SILK
Better Tech spreads West, gold and silver are sent East
Qanats to assist in the cultivation of new crops
Crops: cotton and rice spread to the Middle East for cultivationSlide17
Artistic InfluencesThe convergence of Greco-Roman culture and Buddhist beliefs affected the development of unique sculptural developments.Slide18
Diseases Spread
The network is a great transmitter of pathogens
Waves of plagues spread throughout the region
Devastate urban populations
The Roman Empire records 3 such waves of disease
Marking a decline in population during the 1
st millennium.
The Antonine Plague in 161-180, the Justinian Plague in 542 forms of Small Pox Slide19
Transformed Traditions
Islam rises and spreads along the same path.
Christianity: Thomas the Apostle traveled to India’s Malabar coast
Other Missionaries follow the trade routes and make adaptations to attract followers
Buddhism: From India to China and then Japan and south to Sri Lanka, Burma and SE Asia
-Created oasis and villages along the road -Established themselves as a wealthy merchant classSlide20
The pursuit of spices changed the world
Illuminated its full extent and geography
Created and promoted rival trading empires
Connected distant lands facilitating an exchange of ideas