9781422281192

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Trading Methods Then and Now T he year is 215 BCE . A caravan of traveling traders from the orient has stopped to rest at a caravanserai out- side Samarkand, a city in central Asia. Here, they find comfortable lodging, food, and drink. Their animals are stabled and fed. Inside the inn, other traders from near and far engage in conversation with the new arrivals. They are eager to discover what goods are available for trade. Deals are made. Overnight, the contents of the caravan change. By the time it reaches its destination, its cargo will be quite different from what it con- sisted of when the caravan set forth. This early trading technique was simple. Goods destined for foreign markets were amassed at trading centers. They were secured aboard donkeys, camels, horses, and other pack animals which were organized into caravans. The caravans set out for distant trading towns and cities. Along the way, they sold some of their goods and acquired additional products.

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