Salt road

Caravans of pack animals brought rice up from Nepal's Terai and lower hills in exchange for salt from dry lakes on the Tibetan Plateau.

In the United Kingdom an ancient road known as the Salt Way runs from Droitwich Spa, passing Banbury and onto Princes Risborough.

In medieval Japan, the landlocked and mountainous Shinano Province was supplied with salt by two routes collectively called Shio no Michi.

[7] And even along Europe's coasts, once long-distance trade was revived in the 11th century, the hot and sunny south naturally outproduced the wet north.

Salt-marshes on the other hand, were exploited by artisanal methods: the merchants took control only of transport and marketing, both in Setúbal in Portugal and in Peccais in Languedoc.

"Galleries and shafts were now dug to a depth of 300 metres, and enormous winches powered by teams of horses brought blocks of salt to the surface.

"[12] Since pre-Inca times, salt has been obtained in Maras, Peru, by evaporating salty water from a local subterranean stream.