Trade
Maritime trade – Greeks and Romans
 Roman 1st Century Merchant Ship. The Greeks had traded across the Mediterranean in the Bronze Age, but the scale of Greek involvement in long-distance trade appears to have dramatically declined from c.1200 bc, in what scholars refer to as the Dark Age of Greek history, reviving only in the eighth century bc, when Greek traders are found alongside Phoenicians,…
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Roundships Redux
The round ships of the Mediterranean came from Roman ships with a 3:1 ratio of width to length. They were constructed with caravel-built hulls and no oars, but instead 1-3 masts often with lateen sails. They were used for transport and trade, and were know in the later 12th and…
Indian Sea Trade with the West
The West Gordon Childe says: “The most startling feature of pre-historic Indian trade is that manufactured goods made in India were exported to Mesopotamia. At Eshunna, near Baghdad, typically Indian shell inlays and even pottery probably of the Indus manufacture have been found along with seals. After c. 1700 B.…
Ghanjah
Easily distinguishable by its typical stem-head with trefoil crest, Ghanjah was formerly used in trading. having a capacity of 130 to 300 tons, this boat used to be built in Sur. Length 70 – 125 Feet. Weight 125 – 300 tons Very similar vessel to the Baghlah and difficult to…
Baghlah – Arab cargo vessel
A baghlah, bagala or baggala is a large deep-sea dhow, a traditional Arabic sailing vessel. Description A baghlah is a type of dhow with one or more lateen sails. It is primarily used along the coasts of the Arabian Peninsula, Sindh, India, and East Africa. A larger dhow may have…
James I of Aragon: The Barcelona Maritime Code of 1258
By the middle of the thirteenth century there was a well-established system of usages or maritime law at Barcelona and Tortosa in Spain, and at Marseilles in France, besides similar systems in northern Europe, the laws of Oleron and the laws of Wisby. As may be seen, these laws regulated…
Maritime trade – Greeks and Romans
 Roman 1st Century Merchant Ship. The Greeks had traded across the Mediterranean in the Bronze Age, but the scale of Greek involvement in long-distance trade appears to have dramatically declined from c.1200 bc, in what scholars refer to as the Dark Age of Greek history, reviving only in the…