Trade Caravans

Overland Trade

The caravan: from 1000 BC  (not this type of caravan)

In the parched regions of north Africa and Asia two different species of camel become the most important beasts of burden - the single-humped Arabian camel (in north Africa, the Middle East, India) and the double-humped Bactrian camel (central Asia, Mongolia). Both are well adapted to desert conditions. They can derive water, when none is available elsewhere, from the fat stored in their humps. Camel caravans were groups of people and camels who traveled in convoys over long distances (TRANSPORTATION). In a caravan, people by and large walked alongside camels carrying goods for the markets. Camels were well-suited to the task, which included desert temperatures ranging between 122 (VERY HOT) and -50 (VERY COLD)  degrees fahrenheit. It is probable that they are first domesticated in Arabia. By about 1000 BC caravans of camels are bringing precious goods (VALUABLE IN RELATION TO SIZE) up the west coast of Arabia, linking India with Egypt, Phoenicia and Mesopotamia.  Many towns became centers of trade (MARKETS).  In these towns, you could buy cotton from India and spices from Egypt, and many other things from many other places.  TASKS: (3 tasks) 1. Why did towns become centers of trade? (think about settlement patterns from unit 1) How do these towns compare to the modern shopping mall? What do you think are the connections between seaborne trade and caravan trade? 2. Read about modern day 'white gold' trade caravans and summarize the text in your own words.  The texts are a little heavy, but you are reading only to get the main ideas about the who, what, where, when, why and how.  Read first and discuss with your friends, and write the main message from the texts in your own words. 3. What is the most interesting or surprising thing you learned from reading these texts?  Click here to see the BBC article or this one Alternative BBC article (shorter) An interesting slideshare of photos, showing scenes from this transport and trade in 'white gold'. Slideshare Photos