Welcome to the History Unplugged Podcast.

The unscripted show that celebrates unsung heroes, Mythbust's historical lies, and rediscoveres

the forgotten stories that changed our world.

I'm your host, Scott Rank.

I'd like to talk with you about camels.

camels aren't just an animal at the zoo that spit on you and embarrass you in front of

a first grade class.

And they're not just the mascot of your favorite brand of cigarettes.

Camels are a lot more than that.

Think of them as the long haul truck of the ancient world.

Much of the global economy was based on the camel.

That's because they were the transport animal that got goods along the Silk Road from

China through Central Asia into Iran through Asia Minor and into the Roman world down to

Arabia in all other places in Europe.

Were you a Roman senator that wanted cinnamon from Sri Lanka or netmeg from Indonesia?

If so, then that came to you by a camel.

And going the other direction, were you a Chinese emperor who wanted gold, henna, store

axe, frankincense, asbestos, silk, glass, and silver from Arabia?

In that case, a camel also brought that to you, but from west to east instead of east

to west.

The point being is that we owe camels a debt of gratitude as being the most sturdy pack

animal throughout history.

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