Asian Trade Routes Silk Road & Indian Ocean
To China: Roman goods gold, ivory, gems, & glass (not manufactured in China until the 5th century). Dates, saffron powder & pistachio nuts from Persia; frankincense & myrrh from Somalia; sandalwood from India; & glass bottles from Egypt.
More goods to China: furs, ceramics, jade, bronze, lacquer & iron, horses, alfalfa, grapes, string beans, onions, cucumbers, carrots, pomegranates, & figs. Woolen goods, carpets, curtains, blankets & rugs, came to China from Central Asia and the East Mediterranean. Other goods were skins, cotton fabrics, wool, gold embroidery, water-melons, melons, peaches, sheep, hunting dogs, leopards & lions.
From China: Porcelain, ceramics, vases, bowls, & glasses (Only the Chinese knew the secret of making porcelain). Bronze ornaments, mirrors, umbrellas, medicines, perfumes, paper, tea, rice, corals, amber, ivory, rhino horns, turtle shells, iron items, glaze, cinnamon, ginger, bronze weapons.
India was famous for its fabrics, spices and semi-precious stones, dyes, ivory. Iran was known for its silver products. Rome received spices, fragrances, jewels, ivory, & sugar. Eastern Europe imported rice, cotton, woolen and silk fabrics from Central Asia and exported considerable volumes of skins, furs, fur animals, bark for skin processing, cattle & slaves to Khorezm. Northern Europe was the source of furs, skins, honey & slaves.
India also exported Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism
Mediterranean Trade
Trans-Saharan Trade Routes
Trans-Saharan: Salt, gold, slaves, & cloth were main items Trans-Saharan: Salt, gold, slaves, & cloth were main items. Copper from Morocco & the Byzantines was also imported to the Sahel, as were silver, tin, lead, perfumes, bracelets, books, beads, glass jewelry, & drinking implements. Western Sudan exported animal hides, civet musk, spices, ambergris, kola nuts (primary source of income for Mali & Songhai, used in rituals, & celebrations. Chewed to relieve thirst in desert caravans & a stimulant that could cause addiction), & shea butter (for cooking oil, lamps, & soap).
The French Challenge!
Columbian Exchange &/or Triangular Trade &/or Circular Route
Guns, Cloth