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Great examples. Surprised it overlooks salt, especially as it mentions "Spices were among the first engines of globalization". The salt mines in the Salzburg (

Great examples. Surprised it overlooks salt, especially as it mentions "Spices were among the first engines of globalization". The salt mines in the Salzburg ("Salt Fortress" or "Salt Castle"!!) were operating 7000 years ago and have been a considerable source of the areas riches, starting with the Celtic population trading to Greeks and Romans. Salt played a role in both the American and the French revolutions: https://www.ncdcr.gov/blog/2013/04/24/salt-works-established-to-support-revolutionary-war-effort https://www.ncdcr.gov/blog/2013/04/24/salt-works-established... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabelle#French_Revolution https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabelle#French_Revolution

hinkley 7y ago
And Indian independence. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_March https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_March
- paxys 7y ago
  Salt was more of a symbol in that case, similar to Tea for American independence.
  - ssvss 7y ago
    British did buid a 1100km salt wall to effectively implement the salt tax in India. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/colonial-india-british-hedge-salt-tax https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/colonial-india-british...
abawany 7y ago
So much so that there appears to be persistent belief that the word "salary" is derived from "sel" (salt): http://kiwihellenist.blogspot.com/2017/01/salt-and-salary.html http://kiwihellenist.blogspot.com/2017/01/salt-and-salary.ht... .
- rockinghigh 7y ago
  This blog post does not dispute the broad consensus that salarium comes from sal and that salarium was used to designate salary or emolument. It only tries to dispute the idea that people were paid in salt.
hammock 7y ago
I recently visited Wielikzca outside Krakow (look up photos, it's ridiculous). Poland's prosperity is largely owed to salt as well. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wieliczka_Salt_Mine https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wieliczka_Salt_Mine

hinkley 7y ago

And Indian independence. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_March https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_March

paxys 7y ago
Salt was more of a symbol in that case, similar to Tea for American independence.
- ssvss 7y ago
  British did buid a 1100km salt wall to effectively implement the salt tax in India. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/colonial-india-british-hedge-salt-tax https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/colonial-india-british...

abawany 7y ago

So much so that there appears to be persistent belief that the word "salary" is derived from "sel" (salt): http://kiwihellenist.blogspot.com/2017/01/salt-and-salary.html http://kiwihellenist.blogspot.com/2017/01/salt-and-salary.ht... .

rockinghigh 7y ago
This blog post does not dispute the broad consensus that salarium comes from sal and that salarium was used to designate salary or emolument. It only tries to dispute the idea that people were paid in salt.

hammock 7y ago

I recently visited Wielikzca outside Krakow (look up photos, it's ridiculous). Poland's prosperity is largely owed to salt as well. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wieliczka_Salt_Mine https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wieliczka_Salt_Mine