I. Ancient Times (3000 BCE–500 CE): The Foundations of Trade Networks
Land Travel:
- Speed/Distance: Caravans averaged 15–20 km/day; Silk Road journeys took 6+ months
- Key Resources:
- Cornish tin to Mediterranean bronze workshops
- Afghan lapis lazuli to Mesopotamian temples
- Himalayan rock salt to Indian markets
- Central Asian jade to Chinese courts
- Urban Hubs:
- Babylon (Tigris-Euphrates trade nexus)
- Xi'an (Silk Road terminus)
- Petra (Nabatean caravan city)
- Taxila (Indus-Ganges crossroads)
Sea Travel:
- Speed/Distance: 50–100 km/day; Rome-Egypt grain runs took 3 weeks
- Key Trade:
- Tyrian purple dye from Phoenicia
- Indian pepper to Roman markets
- Baltic amber to Mediterranean
- Urban Hubs:
- Alexandria (Mediterranean grain hub)
- Mohenjo-Daro (Indus Valley port)
- Ostia (Rome's maritime gateway)
II. Medieval Era (500–1500 CE): Horses, Dhows and Maritime Empires
Land Travel:
- Key Additions:
- Malayan camphor to Persian pharmacies
- Kievan furs to Byzantine elites
- Andalusian mercury for gold refining
- New Urban Centers:
- Novgorod (Hanseatic fur trade)
- Karakorum (Mongol crossroads)
- Timbuktu (Saharan gold-salt exchange)
Sea Travel:
- Key Additions:
- Zanzibar ivory to Indian artisans
- Maldives cowrie shells as African currency
- Sulawesi spices to Arabian markets
- New Urban Centers:
- Calicut (Indian pepper capital)
- Kilwa (Swahili gold port)
- Palembang (Sriwijayan spice entrepôt)
III. Early Modern (1500–1800 CE): Global Routes and Colonial Cities
Land Travel:
- Key Additions:
- Bohemian glass to Ottoman palaces
- Hungarian copper to Dutch mints
- Appalachian ginseng to Chinese medicine
- New Urban Centers:
- Isfahan (Safavid silk capital)
- Ayutthaya (Siamese trade hub)
- Tenochtitlan (Aztec tribute center)
Sea Travel:
- Key Additions:
- Brazilian brazilwood for dyes
- Bengali muslin to European elites
- Banda nutmeg as Dutch monopoly
- New Urban Centers:
- Macau (Portugal's China gateway)
- Batavia (Dutch Asian HQ)
- Cartagena (Spanish treasure port)
IV. Modern Era (1800–Present): Industrial and Digital Networks
Land Travel:
- Key Additions:
- Chilean nitrate for fertilizers
- Congolese rubber for tires
- Siberian palladium for electronics
- New Urban Centers:
- Johannesburg (gold/diamond hub)
- Houston (oil logistics center)
- Shenzhen (manufacturing nexus)
Sea Travel:
- Key Additions:
- Australian LNG to East Asia
- West African crude oil
- Peruvian quinoa as global superfood
- New Urban Centers:
- Hamburg (Europe's container leader)
- Jebel Ali (Dubai's mega-port)
- Tanjung Pelepas (Malaysian shipping hub)
V. Future Projections (21st Century+)
Emerging Trends:
-
Land: Hyperloop networks (600+ km/h) between megacities
-
Sea: Autonomous electric container ships
-
Key Resources:
- Rare earth elements for tech
- Lithium for batteries
-
Future Hubs:
- Nairobi (African continental trade)
- Vancouver (Arctic shipping gateway)
- Hanoi (ASEAN manufacturing center)
Note: This is not a complete list