The Spice Trade

The trade in spices is one of the oldest and, at one time, one of the most important forms of commerce. While taken for granted today, spices have been coveted, plundered, fought over, and hoarded throughout history. The Age of Exploration was fueled in part by the desire to find direct routes to the spice-growing regions of Asia. Fortunes were made, battles fought, and countries conquered to satisfy the Western spice trade. This book is the first comprehensive bibliography on the economic and historical aspects of the spice trade. Arranged in broad chronological categories, the bibliography lists monographs, periodical articles, and other miscellaneous sources, including pamphlets and maps.



The first chapter includes sources covering more than one time period or the entire history of the spice trade. Chapter two covers the period from Biblical times through the fall of the Roman Empire, c. 400 A.D., including ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, and the Holy Land. The Dark Ages and Middle Ages, from c. 400 to 1500, are covered in chapter three. Chapter four covers the Age of Exploration and Colonialism, including the European voyages and the colonization of Africa, Asia, and the Americas. The final chapter provides selective coverage of the post-World War II era. Sources listed in all chapters are in Western languages and available in U.S. libraries.