mid-6th century
Constantinople's Silk Trade
Byzantine Constantinople sat at the junction of Mediterranean sea lanes and overland routes from Central Asia, making it the principal west…
The Full Timeline of Trade
Over a hundred events spanning early exchange networks to today's global logistics. Combine filters, search, and switch between chronological and card views.
Medieval Trade
mid-6th century
Constantinople's Silk Trade
Byzantine Constantinople sat at the junction of Mediterranean sea lanes and overland routes from Central Asia, making it the principal western hub for Silk Road commerce. In the m…
c. 750-900
Abbasid Trade Networks Centered on Baghdad
After the Abbasid Caliphate moved its capital to Baghdad in 762, the city grew into one of the largest and wealthiest urban centers in the medieval world, anchoring trade networks…
c. 800-1000
Ghana Empire and the Gold-Salt Trade
The Ghana Empire, also known as Wagadu, rose to prominence by controlling trans-Saharan trade routes that connected West African goldfields to North Africa and the Mediterranean. …
c. 750-1300
Spread of Paper and Manuscript Technology Along Trade Routes
Papermaking technology, long established in China, spread westward into the Islamic world by the mid-8th century, with paper mills established in Baghdad under Abbasid patronage. …
c. 1000-1300
Swahili Coast City-States and Indian Ocean Dhow Trade
A string of Swahili city-states along the East African coast, including Kilwa, Mombasa, and Zanzibar, grew wealthy as intermediaries in Indian Ocean trade linking Africa, Arabia, …
c. 1180
The Champagne Fairs
The Counts of Champagne hosted a cycle of six annual fairs rotating among four towns, which by the late 12th century had become the leading commercial meeting point between northe…
c. 1100-1300
Song and Yuan Dynasty Maritime Trade
Under the Song and later Yuan dynasties, Chinese maritime trade expanded significantly, with ports such as Quanzhou becoming major hubs for shipping across the South China Sea and…
c. 1241-1358
Founding of the Hanseatic League
Merchant associations in northern German towns such as Lübeck and Hamburg began forming mutual protection and trade agreements in the mid-13th century, with a formal alliance betw…
c. 1200-1300
Venetian and Genoese Dominance of Mediterranean Trade
Venice and Genoa emerged as the two dominant Italian maritime republics in Mediterranean trade during the 13th century, operating fleets of galleys that linked western Europe with…
c. 1100-1400
Novgorod and Baltic Trade
The city-state of Novgorod controlled extensive forested territories in northwestern Russia rich in furs, wax, and timber, which it traded westward through Baltic sea routes in ex…
c. 1260-1350
The Pax Mongolica and Silk Road Revival
Following the Mongol conquests of the 13th century, the resulting political unity across much of Eurasia, sometimes called the Pax Mongolica, made overland travel along the Silk R…
1300s
Italian Banking Houses and Bills of Exchange
During the 14th century, Italian merchant banking houses such as the Bardi and Peruzzi families of Florence developed extensive international networks of branches and agents to fi…
1324
Mansa Musa's Pilgrimage and Mali's Gold Wealth
Mansa Musa, ruler of the Mali Empire, undertook a pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324 that passed through Cairo and became renowned for the vast quantities of gold distributed along the w…
1405-1433
Zheng He's Treasure Fleet Voyages
Between 1405 and 1433, the Ming dynasty admiral Zheng He led seven large naval expeditions that sailed from China through Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean as far as the Arabian…
c. 750-900
Abbasid Trade Networks Centered on Baghdad
After the Abbasid Caliphate moved its capital to Baghdad in 762, the city grew into one of the largest and wealthiest urban centers in the …
c. 800-1000
Ghana Empire and the Gold-Salt Trade
The Ghana Empire, also known as Wagadu, rose to prominence by controlling trans-Saharan trade routes that connected West African goldfields…
c. 750-1300
Spread of Paper and Manuscript Technology Along Trade Routes
Papermaking technology, long established in China, spread westward into the Islamic world by the mid-8th century, with paper mills establis…
c. 1000-1300
Swahili Coast City-States and Indian Ocean Dhow Trade
A string of Swahili city-states along the East African coast, including Kilwa, Mombasa, and Zanzibar, grew wealthy as intermediaries in Ind…
c. 1180
The Champagne Fairs
The Counts of Champagne hosted a cycle of six annual fairs rotating among four towns, which by the late 12th century had become the leading…
c. 1100-1300
Song and Yuan Dynasty Maritime Trade
Under the Song and later Yuan dynasties, Chinese maritime trade expanded significantly, with ports such as Quanzhou becoming major hubs for…
c. 1241-1358
Founding of the Hanseatic League
Merchant associations in northern German towns such as Lübeck and Hamburg began forming mutual protection and trade agreements in the mid-1…
c. 1200-1300
Venetian and Genoese Dominance of Mediterranean Trade
Venice and Genoa emerged as the two dominant Italian maritime republics in Mediterranean trade during the 13th century, operating fleets of…
c. 1100-1400
Novgorod and Baltic Trade
The city-state of Novgorod controlled extensive forested territories in northwestern Russia rich in furs, wax, and timber, which it traded …
c. 1260-1350
The Pax Mongolica and Silk Road Revival
Following the Mongol conquests of the 13th century, the resulting political unity across much of Eurasia, sometimes called the Pax Mongolic…
1300s
Italian Banking Houses and Bills of Exchange
During the 14th century, Italian merchant banking houses such as the Bardi and Peruzzi families of Florence developed extensive internation…
1324
Mansa Musa's Pilgrimage and Mali's Gold Wealth
Mansa Musa, ruler of the Mali Empire, undertook a pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324 that passed through Cairo and became renowned for the vast qu…
1405-1433
Zheng He's Treasure Fleet Voyages
Between 1405 and 1433, the Ming dynasty admiral Zheng He led seven large naval expeditions that sailed from China through Southeast Asia an…