Possible Points:
(Read through the “Salt” article from Wikipedia to get basic ideas around “borders”.)
- essential for life
- food seasoning
- salting – food preservation
- civilization
- the first city in Europe was a salt mine
- around 6000BC, saltworks in Rome & China
- different food resources of nomads and agriculturalists lead to different needs for salt
- an important article of trade
- salt roads
- barter
- the obsidian trade in Anatolia in the Neolithic Era
- about 2800 BC, the Egyptians began exporting salt fish to the Phoenicians in return for Lebanon cedar, glass, and the dye Tyrian purple
- the Phoenicians traded Egyptian salted fish and salt from North Africa throughout their Mediterranean trade empire.
- in Africa, as currency
- cities along the river Salzach related to salt
- wars & tax
- Venice won a war with Genoa (? & relations with the American Revolution
- Cities on overland trade routes levied duties
- governments imposed salt taxes on people
- The voyages of Christopher Columbus – were financed by salt production in southern Spain
- the oppressive salt tax – the causes of the French Revolution
- tax, pay for Napoleon’s foreign wars
- Salt March in India
- Religion
Upsides:
- food seasoning & food preservation
- promote civilization
- promote business
- cities related to salt flourished
- government got tax
Downsides:
- cause wars
- salt tax increases the burden on the people
Cultural differences:
(Mainly related to religion… Or I can focus on the differences between salt in Chinese and other cultural histories
I’m curious if there are any narratives which emerged for you through this research (real or imagined) that impressed you. Your “possible points” list is so rich with imagery and story-lines. I am also curious how those story-lines might intersect with the pros and cons you are starting to think about.
Right! I think it might be an infographic. Although I didn’t expect it could be an imagined one. I’m curious about how can an imagined narrative help the research?
Giving yourself the space to allow your mind to wander and wonder can be fruitful in uncovering questions that may not arise from direct research. (It is only one of many ways of thinking through subjects – but I enjoy using this method as a sort of prompt.) In this case, imaginings such as “What was it like for the Basque salt manufacturers 7000 years ago? What were their daily lives like? How did the geographical and environmental conditions effect their lived experiences? And, were those conditions needed for successful salt manufacturing?” can open up inquiry into other avenues of investigation.
Like the idea! Thanks!