-
Bananas were first cultivated in New Guinea, but spread to Southeast Asia, India, and Africa. Plants and other horticulture/food items spread along the Indian Ocean trade routes (Indian Ocean in World History, n.d.).
-
The Phoenicians traveled further than any of their Mediterranean predecessors and used Polaris as a celestial guide for navigation. Their merchants may have circumnavigated the African continent as well as created trading colonies such as Carthage (Indian Ocean in World History, n.d.).
-
The Persian Empire was involved with the Indian Ocean trade routes (Szczepanski, 2019).
-
Darius I ruled the Persian Empire (Stearns, et al., 2015).
-
The Phoenicians created a language technology, the alphabet, that was adopted by the Greeks and spread along the Indian Ocean trade routes (Indian Ocean in World History, n.d.).
-
The Peloponnesian Wars between Athens and Sparta led to the decline of Greece (Stearns, et al., 2015).
-
Alexander "the Great" became king of Macedonia and created the largest Persian empire over the following decade. Some cities he founded bore his name, such as Alexandria, Egypt. This city was a major center for intellectualism and trade (Stearns, et al., 2015).
-
The Mauryan Empire in India was involved in the Indian Ocean trade routes (Szczepanski, 2019).
-
Emperor Ashoka in India converted to Buddhism and spread the religion across his influence (Stearns, et al., 2015).
-
The Chinese Han Dynasty was heavily involved in Indian Ocean trade.
-
Disease and parasites are often spread as quickly as new language and culture. Chinese liver flukes, viruses, and other undesirable pathogens were spread in busy ports and trade centers. Food and "personal hygiene sticks" such as the ones shown were often the source of transmission. (Choi, 2016).
-
The Roman Empire was involved in Indian Ocean trade from 33 BCE to 476 CE (Szczepanski, 2019).
-
Silk cloth from China was a valuable form of currency during the Classical Period. Overland trade routes called the "Silk Road" connected wealthy empires as critically as the ocean trade routes did (Indian Ocean in World History, n.d.).
-
Many scholars traveled throughout their civilizations and beyond, noting natural and manmade features. Their accounts and maps documented the knowledge of the time for reference by academics and merchants alike. One such traveler was the Greek author Strabo (Indian Ocean in World History, n.d.).
-
This trader's handbook was written by an Egyptian merchant and listed all of the ports and detailed accounts of trade (Indian Ocean in World History, n.d.).
-
Pearls were prized additions to jewelry in Rome. They were a popular good that was easily transported across the Indian Ocean trade routes because of their small size and high value (Indian Ocean in World History, n.d.).
-
Coins were a popular method of currency in many places, featuring precious metals such as silver or gold. Technology featured sheets which could be punched. The imagery on these coins show syncretism, a blending of Hellenistic and Egyptian imagery (Indian Ocean in World History, n.d.).
-
Axum's port city of Adulis was very active in trade. A Greek merchant ship was captured, and two boys who survived were critical to spreading Christianity to the future King (Stearns, et al., 2015).
-
Hanno of Carthage explored the west African coast (Indian Ocean in World History, n.d.).
-
The Islamic religion spread via merchants, not missionaries, along the Indian Ocean trade routes (Szczepanski, 2019).
