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| Map from Trade Routes in the Americas before Columbus by David M. Carballo. Resources of interest to "European" technologies added by ERJ. |
There is ample evidence that pre-Columbian "Indians" had regular trade-routes.
It will come as no surprise that one set of trade-routes covered the Inca empire. Another covered the Aztec empire and a third covered North America.
There is little value in transporting a product if there is no "market" at the other end of the travels.
As we pick at the idea of "Travel across America in 1650" it might be useful to overlay existing trade routes with resources that might be of interest to Europeans.
A few candidates for centers-of-operation are near where the Missouri River joins the Mississippi (St Louis), the Wabash joins the Ohio River (Mt. Vernon, Indiana), where the Ohio joins the Mississippi river (Cairo, Il or Cape Girardeau, Mo), near where the Arkansas joins the Mississippi (Pine Bluff, Arkansas), near where the Red River joins the Mississippi (Alexandria, Louisiana).
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| Frio bat cave, Concan, Tx. |
Given the role that weapons-of-war have historically had in advancing technology, there is much to be said for Alexandria, Louisiana on the Red River. It is midway between the lead deposits in Missouri, Illinois and Iowa and the nitrate deposits in the arid, bat-caves of the Texas hill-country. Unlike lead projectiles which can sometimes be recovered and re-used, gunpowder is an absolute consumable.
Gunpowder can be made without sulfur with 3 parts potassium nitrate to 1 part charcoal (by weight). The resulting blackpowder is less corrosive but harder to ignite than blackpowder made with sulfur.
One of my favorite topics. I grow a tomato called Cherokee Purple. It is ugly but robust and tolerates cold weather. Tomatoes came to Italy from South America. There are historians that assert there is Mayan etymology behind some place names in Western Carolina and Eastern TN. Assuming validity to the name how did the Cherokee come by tomatoes Fringe historians assert they came to the Oconee Valley hunting a reddish tinged gold. There was once a funny looking carving on a large stone at line creek over a quartz seam. That location is on a line between Dahlonega, GA and Luthersville, GA.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'll note the existence of the Wickliffe mounds at the Ohio and Mississippi. And their are place names over west opposite the river. Roger
DeleteInteresting. I live in ETN now, have to research that some more!
DeleteA good idea for a central point, don't forget it is also more temperate than further north while being far enough north to avoid the worst of gulf coast weather, bugs, etc.
ReplyDeleteAt the time of Desoto, Indians in Georgia lived on the coast, the fall line that demarks piedmont from coastal plane and the mountains clustered at rivers. On a conventional map it runs from Columbus, GA to Macon to Augusta. Interestingly enough to your point, the local name for that is the Gnat Line. Roger
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In our location (deep south Texas) La Sal De Rey lake has water four times more saline than ocean water. The water was evaporated off and the salt content was traded by Spanish before the U.S. joined Texas in 1836 :^)
ReplyDeleteI don't know if the native population traded it with others, but I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case. Salt is an important element needed for survival.
I've driven 281 a bazillions times. Next trip, I'm making time for that park. Thanks for the heads up.
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ReplyDeleteThere is also significant evidence that copper from Minnesota was in use in the Mediterranean around 0BC. Hmm.
ReplyDelete