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Ancient trade routes connected empires and cultures, sparking innovations and shaping history. Here are nine trade routes at the centre of ancient commerce.
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Developed around 2700 BC, this 6,400 km route connected China to the Roman Empire. It was not just a trade network but a melting pot of cultures and ideas.
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Built to transport frankincense and myrrh, the 2,000 km route stretched from Mediterranean ports to Egypt, Arabia and India. It flourished from 300 BC to 200 AD.
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Constructed under the command of King Darius I in the 5th century BC, this 2,400 km route facilitated communications and transport across ancient Persia.
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Stretching across 15,000 km from the West coast of Japan to Europe, these maritime routes facilitated the trade of spices like cinnamon as early as 2000 BC.
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A network of routes used to transport amber from the Baltic region to the Mediterranean, with evidence suggesting its existence as early as 3000 BC.
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This 9,600 km trade route, which stretched from China to India via Tibet, facilitated the direct trade of tea for horses during the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD).
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Caravans with over a thousand camels carried goods across the Sahara Desert around 400 BC. The route was also used for the slave trade.
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The oldest salt trade route dates back to the Bronze Age (2000 BC). The Roman Via Salaria from Ostia to Italy is among the most famous.
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This route developed in 3200 BC during the bronze age when tin, probably from Turkey, made its way via land and sea to Cyprus.
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