Packaging Revolution

Paths Without Maps: Navigation & Infrastructure Before GPS 1 Paths Without Maps: Navigation & Infrastructure Before GPS - Part 1: Polynesian Wayfinding: Reading the Water Without Instruments 2 Paths Without Maps: Navigation & Infrastructure Before GPS - Part 2: The Qhapaq Ñan: Governing a 25,000-Mile Empire Without the Wheel 3 Paths Without Maps: Navigation & Infrastructure Before GPS - Part 3: Inca Suspension Bridges & State Supply Depots 4 Paths Without Maps: Navigation & Infrastructure Before GPS - Part 4: Harnessing Power: How the Stirrup and Collar Revolutionized Medieval Mobility 5 Paths Without Maps: Navigation & Infrastructure Before GPS - Part 5: The Quiet Engine of Commerce: The Wooden Barrel and the Packaging Revolution ← Series Home The Fragility of Ancient Trade For centuries, long-distance commerce relied heavily on the fragile clay amphora, a vessel often prone to breakage when subjected to the rough handling of muddy roads or the violent heaving of ships at sea. The loss of precious contents—be it wine, oil, or fish sauce—due to a cracked vessel was an endemic barrier to building trust and confidence in international trade. The risk inherent in packaging limited the volume and distance of reliable commerce across the European continent. ...