Trade routes: Did you mean...?

A map illustrating the boundaries, spheres of influence, and the flow of trade around the Mediterranean Sea between the 7th and 4th centuries BCE.

In the 13th century, astonishing quantities of spices and silk passed from the Far East to Europe. Exact amounts are not known, but spice popularity in both cuisine and medicine reached its historical peak during the Middle Ages in Europe...

This map shows the Roman-Parthian trade route system, circa between the 1st and the 3rd centuries CE. During this period, the Roman Empire and the Parthian Empire were the two superpowers of the region and the Roman-Parthian trade system...

A map indicating the major trans-Saharan trade routes across West Africa c. 1100-1500 CE. The darker yellow areas indicate gold fields.

Alexander the Great died in Babylon on the 13th of June, 323 BCE. His Macedonian-Greek empire broke apart, but Alexander’s heritage was felt throughout the ancient Mediterranean world for centuries. Three Hellenic empires emerged from the...

A map showing the late medieval trade routes by land and sea across Europe and Western Asia.

This map is derived from the book Periplus of the Erythraean Sea. It depicts trade routes in the ancient world, ports in the Chera territory and other parts of India and the trade routes connecting them to other parts of the world along with...

The life of wealthy Romans was filled with exotic luxuries such as cinnamon, myrrh, pepper, or silk acquired through long-distance international trade. Goods from the Far East arrived in Rome through two corridors – the Red Sea and the Persian...

One of the major motivating factors in the European Age of Exploration was the search for direct access to the highly lucrative Eastern spice trade. In the 15th century, spices came to Europe via the Middle East land and sea routes, and spices...

In this video, let's retrace the evolution of the world’s major trade routes, from the Incense Route until today.