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<blockquote data-quote="Aldarc" data-source="post: 8338781" data-attributes="member: 5142">So was he:Although Islamic traders had trade routes through the desert, the Sahara was nevertheless a HUGE barrier for trade and cultural diffusion. This was true even in the times of the Roman Empire or the window of time when the entire Mediterranean was mostly Christian. Europe was mostly uninterested in sea trade with Subsaharan Africa (apart from goods like ivory and gold) until basically the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople put the nail in the coffin for old trade routes and Europeans sought to bypass Muslim nations. Also, keep in mind that East Africa was not so much focused on trade with Europe, but, rather, with routes along the Indian Ocean, obviously including Arabia, India, and China. And these sea trade relations between East Africa and China were occurring well before Europe began the &quot;Age of Discovery,&quot; with East and Central Africa primarily interested in rare Asian trade goods like cotton, silk, and porcelain.Zanzibar, which Pemerton mentions, was vital hub for trade for East and Central Africa, and it attests to an infusion of East African, Arabic, Persian, and Indian traditions. And Zanzibar was essentially the &quot;middle man&quot; for trade between Central/East Coastal Africa and the Arab, Indian, and Persian merchants. This cultural infusion also included religion, writing, and architecture. Some of the people in this area are descendants of even Chinese and Indian merchants from before the time of European colonizers. Part of the problem is that our knowledge of pre-Columbian indigenous peoples and their trade is incredibly limited. There is a lot of guesswork we have to deduce from the diffusion of Maize and other crops from Mesoamerica to the rest of the Americas or even trade goods like turquoise. Or even the lack of pack animals or limited amount of sea trade.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Aldarc, post: 8338781, member: 5142"] So was he: Although Islamic traders had trade routes through the desert, the Sahara was nevertheless a HUGE barrier for trade and cultural diffusion. This was true even in the times of the Roman Empire or the window of time when the entire Mediterranean was mostly Christian. Europe was mostly uninterested in sea trade with Subsaharan Africa (apart from goods like ivory and gold) until basically the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople put the nail in the coffin for old trade routes and Europeans sought to bypass Muslim nations. Also, keep in mind that East Africa was not so much focused on trade with Europe, but, rather, with routes along the Indian Ocean, obviously including Arabia, India, and China. And these sea trade relations between East Africa and China were occurring well before Europe began the "Age of Discovery," with East and Central Africa primarily interested in rare Asian trade goods like cotton, silk, and porcelain. Zanzibar, which Pemerton mentions, was vital hub for trade for East and Central Africa, and it attests to an infusion of East African, Arabic, Persian, and Indian traditions. And Zanzibar was essentially the "middle man" for trade between Central/East Coastal Africa and the Arab, Indian, and Persian merchants. This cultural infusion also included religion, writing, and architecture. Some of the people in this area are descendants of even Chinese and Indian merchants from before the time of European colonizers. Part of the problem is that our knowledge of pre-Columbian indigenous peoples and their trade is incredibly limited. There is a lot of guesswork we have to deduce from the diffusion of Maize and other crops from Mesoamerica to the rest of the Americas or even trade goods like turquoise. Or even the lack of pack animals or limited amount of sea trade. [/QUOTE]

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