Medieval trade routes.

[balybaly2]

Or medieval economy the thread should read. I'm currently working on a new book about colonization that focuses on the feudal system, adding in a mix of modern capitalism along with a dash of the mysterious and unknown underworld, but what I'm really lacking on is the economy of this world i can represent it good with the politics and intrigue but I can't seem to find anything on the economy in those days usually its all tied to land and tools but very little about trade which is whats dominant in my book, any help is appreciated, thanks in advance

 

[CupofJoe]

There's a lot of ground to be covered but this might give you a place to start... Trade Routes [wiki]
Silk Spices, incense, precious stone and metal were all traded.
It really depended on the what is lacking in the place your are and what others want to sell...

 

[Russ]

There are lots of good books out their on medieval economics. Tons of them.

Don't overlook the works on Viking trade routes either. I remember standing in the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul and seeing 8th century Viking graffiti from a trader who had travelled that far. There were also Islamic and Chinese traders travelling vast distances in that era if you are not focused on a European model.

 

[Reilith]

I would recommend you to check different types of feudal systems and how they tackled economy in their times. First that comes to mind is feudal Japan for me, as I've studied it extensively, but it really depends on the culture of the people you are writing about. Maybe even go and read some Marco Polo and his travels, as he goes through a lot of interesting facts about different foreign places for Europe at that time.

 

[Bekka King]

I don't have a direct answer for you, but can steer you toward a potentially useful resource.

Are you familiar with Goodreads? It's an online book club. It has various discussion groups that one can join. I enjoy a discussion group they have called 'The History Book Club." It's a very active group with highly knowledgeable discussions. When I saw your post, it immediately occurred to me that someone in that group may have an answer for you. Maybe check it out, if you're so inclined.
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[skip.knox]

What Russ said. It's probably literally true that there are tons of books on the topic.

What you won't find is much on web sites on the topic. And much of what you do find is muddle-headed or flat out wrong.

But, all those tons of books may still not get you where you want to go. Do you have specific questions about trade? Is there an incident in your story where the details of a transaction matter?