PRESENTATION OUTLINE
CROPS
The stable crops of Roman farmers in Italy were grains, olives, and grapes. Olive and oil, were among the most important products in the ancient civilization and led Italy's exports. Romans did use a form of 2 tier crop rotation, but crop production was very low and required a large number of slaves to farm at one time.
TRADE
Trading routes were made on land and sea. Some of these roads we still use today. A huge benefit was transporting a goods. A huge number of goods were carried along these roads. Transporting goods by land is slow and expensive. Large loads of wagons and carriages were pulled in by lumbering oxen.
TRADE
Large and slow shipments were tough to travel but horse drawn loads were faster. Horses carried baskets called panniers which carried goods. Slaves were another way for goods to be traveled providing cheap labor. Trade on land was only good if goods traveled a short distance.
TRADE
They shipped goods on ships such as food, precious metals, stones, and building supplies. Lots of sea lanes provided cheap access to parts all over the Mediterranean Sea. Trading by sea was a lot harder than land. There was a lot of bad things that happen trading by sea. There could be very bad weather, wrong charts, poor navigation equipment that can ruin the whole trip.
