Marco Polo routes

- Middle ages: 1200AD to 1600AD (400 to 800 years ago)

- Most wealth and power was in different European countries (England, France, Italy, Spain)

- The Catholic Church had all the power [e.g. they were the centre of the universe and all the planets and moons orbit around the church

- Galileo (Italian scientist) invented the first telescope, and did his calculations

- and he concluded that the Earth is a sphere, and the Earth and other planets orbit around the Sun

- there were no detailed maps 

- during the middle ages, most European were Roman Catholic (they eat fish on Fridays; did not taste very good)

- Marco Polo (Italian merchant), traveled east from Italy to trade.  He was looking for herbs and spices

- some merchants brought back and trade herbs and spices from Asia and Marco Polo wanted to get more

- they traded these goods in Iran during the Middle East

- Herbs and Spices: pepper, mustard seeds, vanilla beans, curry, cinnamon, etc

- Marco Polo, his father and uncle kept travelling east along the Silk Road (mountain, desert) to China.  It took many months to get to China

- He discovered many new things in China that he could bring back to Europe: ivory, jade, silk, herbs and spices, compass, gun powder

- the Chinese emperor treated them nicely.  Marco Polo spread the words of God (Bible) to the Chinese

- Marco Polo visited different parts of China and set up churches and trade with the locals

- he went back to Europe by boat (Chinese mapped part of the southeastern Asia sea routes) – on Polo’s way back to Europe, he visited Malaysia and India

- sea routes were easier and faster, and they carried much more merchandise back to Europe