Amber Road
The Amber Road was a European trade route associated with the trade and transport of amber. Amber satisfied the criteria for long distance trade as it was light in weight and was in high demand for ornamental purposes around the Mediterranean. Before the establishment of Roman control over areas such as Pannonia, the Amber Road was virtually the only route available for long distance trade.
Towns along the Amber Road began to rise steadily during the 1st century AD, despite the troop movements under Titus Flavius Vespasianus and his son Titus Flavius Domitianus. Under the reign of Tiberius Caesar Augustus, the Amber Road was straightened and paved according to the prevailing urban standards. Roman towns began to appear along the road, initially founded near the site of Celtic oppida.
The 3rd century saw the Danube river become the principal artery of trade, eclipsing the Amber Road and other commercial routes. The redirection of investment to the Danubian forts saw the towns along the Amber Road growing slowly, though yet retaining their prosperity. The prolonged struggle between the Romans and the barbarians further left its mark on the towns along the Amber Road.
Read more about this topic: Trade Routes, Historic Trade Routes, Predominantly Overland Routes
Famous quotes containing the words amber and/or road:
“Swimmer of noonday, lean for the perfect dive
To the dead Mother’s face, whose subtile down
You had not seen take amber light alive.”
—Allen Tate (1899–1979)
“... we have every reason to rejoice when there are so many gains and when favorable conditions abound on every hand. The end is not yet in sight, but it can not be far away. The road before us is shorter than the road behind.”
—Lucy Stone (1818–1893)