Silk-for-Horses During the Tang Dynasty: China’s Most Dangerous Trade Deal
At first glance, trading silk for horses sounds like a fantastic bargain. One side provides beautiful fabric. The other side […]
Trade & Barter
Cowrie Canoes From the Maldives: The Island Sailors Feeding Africa’s Shell Currency Economy
Tiny white shells once helped power entire economies across Africa. That sentence sounds ridiculous at first. Most people would probably
The Obsidian Routes of Ancient Anatolia: Volcanic Glass Was Once More Valuable Than Gold
Introduction If you handed most people a sharp black rock today, they probably would not think much about it. It
The Kula Ring of Papua New Guinea: The Ocean Trade Network That Wasn’t About Profit
Introduction The first time most people hear about the Kula Ring, the reaction is usually some version of: “Wait, people