Seminar 1, 2, 3: B. Goodies from the colonies

This is a theme that will begin on Oct 15, and will continue on Oct 24 and 31. So we can only take 3-4 items each seminar!

We will be trying to figure out what were the „goodies” that attracted the interest of British traders to the overseas territories.

You will pick up ONE such goody. You will bring a sample in class (the real thing not photos of it), present it in class in 90-120 seconds. Max two illustrations to be uploaded here (use the button)
Focus on just four things:

• a) show the class the sample; let them feel it, taste it, smell it.
• b) what is it (which part of a plant) and where it grows? (photo + map printed or drawn welcome!)
• c) What was it used in Europe for? (You will be surprised: some of the spices were not used as spice only!)
• d) which other colonial nations competed for it?
• e) what made it trasportable? (think of the ratio between price / weight; or the resistence to fungi and rot)
• f) how expensive it was then, and today?

For the last question, I set up an informative page, that connects you to the Historical prices, then to their conversion to today’s money, and then to RON. See, with a shocking example: Prices of those spices, then and now

RULES: See► RULES FOR SEMINARS

THE GOODIES:

If you click on the name of the ”goodie” you will see the best resolution image of it I could find.

SPICES:

• B1. Cinnamon (scorțișoară)
• B2. Pepper (piper)
• B3. Nutmeg (nucșoară)
• B4. Ginger (ghimbir)
• B5. Clove (cuișoare)

DELICATESSEN:

• B6. Coffee
• B7. Cocoa
• B8. Indian Tea
• B9. Sugar & Molasses (melasă) from Sugarcane
• B10. Tobacco

MATERIALS:

• B11. Natural rubber (you will probably fail to find natural rubber, so just bring a sample of  some white rubber)
• B12. Ivory (fildeș). (probably hard to find, just bring something similar, maybe made of bone).
• B13. Cotton. 
• B13. Indigo (a pigment used to dye textiles). (Just bring any textile item in that colour!)

Remember: More questions can be found on List A and List C.