When it comes to intercontinental trade in the Middle Ages, the Silk Road seems to get all the love. But the movement of people and goods between kingdoms and continents was made possible in large part by water. This week, Danièle speaks with Amanda Respess about ships and shipbuilding in the medieval world, what we know about early global trade routes, and the fascinating bits of archaeology we’re still finding under the sea.

Amanda Respess is Assistant Professor at The Ohio State University. Her new book is Global Ships: Seafaring, Shipwrecks, and Boatbuilding in the Global Middle Ages. Elements in the Global Middle Ages.

The creator and host of The Medieval Podcast is Danièle Cybulskie. Click here to visit her website or follow her on BlueSky @5minmedievalist.bsky.social

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Top Image: Early European illustration of Southeast Asian djongs and other smaller craft (D’Eerste Boeck, c. 1599)