h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

...in your proposed Entry on medieval trade.

Will you be covering earlier trade? eg Bronze age Phoenecians in Cornwall?

I have a vague memory that Chinese artefacts have been found in Baffin Island - presumably via the Vikings - although I may have dreamt it.

There was also something on the radio a few months ago about Himalayan Buddhist symbols found on the ceiling of a church in Devon.

And how about a diversion into Heyerdahlism?

I've written a rough outline of what I planned to write - so far it's pretty limited - a basic outline of the trade from about 1200 - 1400. I'd definitely like to expand it some more - thanks for the ideas. It probably won't be finished for a while even if I just stick to the middle ages in Afro-Eurasia, so I probably will just stick to that and leave the other stuff for another time or another researcher.

Here's some links to the hare stuff, if you can use them:

The original programme (available in audio): http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/hares.shtml

This sermon touches on the Silk Route trading links:
http://www.stmatthews.org.nz/s075.htm

Hmmm. I feel a separate Entry coming on...after I've done The Baader-Meinhoff Gang and Slime Moulds. (That's 2 separate entries, btw)

Here's the entry so far

A5488374

Needs some work, padding etc.

I don't know if I'll use the hare stuff but thanks for the links

I need to do some basic background first, and then expand it, maybe focus on one country or region at a time, plus I need a major section on the transportation of goods to replace the piddly little paragraph I've got filling in at the moment.

Very good so far. Some sugestions:

The Arabs were clearly the key to a lot of it. They had the shipping routes down the E. African coast and outward to Indonesia. Also...for Europe, the expansion of the Caliphate throughout the Mediterranean and up into the Balkans, Austria and Spain/Southern France should get a mention.

Maybe a mention that trade routes were already established in Ancient times: Alexander!

What about the trade routes down the Western Seaboard? To a Viking, the Hebrides, the West Coast of Ireland, Corwall and Brittany/Normandy all run in a straight line. Along much of this trade route, the various peoples used Gaelic as a lingua franca, all the way down to Galicia. Interesting also that Scotland was part of The Kingdom of Norway, up until the Battle of Largs in 1207. And didn't the Vikings trade in the Crimea?

Ach...I'm just adding complications.

Any idea...did West Africa trade upwards to the Mediterranean? Benin obviously had strong Arab links by the time the Europeans got down there.

One more thing:

>>between 1250 and 1350

That would be the 13th and 14th centuries then

Ah yes Thanks!

Thanks for all the suggestions too!

>>Any idea...did West Africa trade upwards to the Mediterranean? Benin obviously had strong Arab links by the time the Europeans got down there.

There was a trade route north into Morocco (and Europe beyond) via Timbuktu. I was reading something in one of the Sunday papers that said that Timbuktu's height was smack bang in the middle of your period.

Worth a mention? Just to make sure it's not too Eurocentric.

Ah, where to stop? Thank heaven for Wikipedia...

I've made some changes. That's about as far as I'm going to go at the moment. I've got to focus on uni for 2 months and after that I'll have another look at it.

Best of luck this term. What course?

Visit Atheist Fundamentalism some time: A4497492

History and english.

I am looking forward to November so much! I'll stay up til 4 and get drunk every second night...Oh wait, I'm already doing that I'll have to think of something else to do.

I'm off to visit Athiest-land now, thanks.