Mediterranean Cultural Diffusion

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Trade has a large role in the development of a civilization as it leads to cultural diffusion and the spread of many religions. Trade routes that greatly impacted the development of a civilization. In the beginning of the Classical Era to 1450 C.E the Mediterranean trade routes and the Indian Ocean trade routes greatly impacted the development of Afro-Eurasia. There was an imense amount of cultural diffusion in both the Mediterranean and Indian trade routes, which led to the growth and advancements of civilizations. One example of the impact cultural diffusion haad in the Ondian Ocean was in the realm of mathematics. The Indians developed a number system consisting of 1 through 9, and zero. The system, was spread through trade in the Indian Ocean and adopted by Muslim mathematician al Khwarizmi. It then became known as Arabic numerals which are still in use today. The Indian system of numerals helped the advancements in science and…show more content…
Their geography affected what products and how products were traded. In the Mediterranean there was little arable land that could support a stable plant and ports weren't that far from each other. This forced the Mediterranean trade to be mostly based on commercial agriculture rather than luxuries. On the other hand in the Indian Ocean trade routes there was arable land but the ports were farther apart so perishable items were less likely to be traded. This ment that in the trade in the Indian Ocean trade routes was more focused on luxury products. Another difference between the Mediterranean and Indian Ocean trade routes was the control of the trade route. The Mediterranean trade routes were usually controlled by an empire; some empires that rulled the Mediterranean were the Roman Empire, Persians and the Muslims. Contrastingly the Indian Ocean trade routes didn't have one

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