> Prior to that, slavery, which has been practised since ancient times, was a local phenomenon. Most of the slave trading cultures I’m aware of took their slav

> Prior to that, slavery, which has been practised since ancient times, was a local phenomenon. Most of the slave trading cultures I’m aware of took their slaves from elsewhere. The Romans took most of their slaves from conquered peoples. The Vikings transported slaves all across Europe and the Mediterranean. The transportation of slaves from African to America probably has more to do with the development of better sailing technology than writing. Accountancy has also been around much longer than the printing press. The oldest known written records are in fact warehouse inventories.