Landhandelsrouten

The trans-regional, trans- or even intercontinental land trade routes of antiquity and the Middle Ages exert a certain fascination. They were used to transport coveted goods such as silk, incense and amber. However, the long-distance traders also carried new ideas, customs and technological progress with them, so that these land trade routes often became connecting arteries between different cultural areas. It was not only lucrative for rulers to control them because of the transfer of goods and culture, but also for strategic reasons. Trade routes could bring prosperity, but their decline could also trigger crises. Land trade routes have helped to shape our history at various levels. This volume sheds light on these diverse aspects using both well-known and lesser-known routes and provides region-specific insights into the organisation, development and economic cycle of each route.