According to researchers, Vikings bought a rich plethora of items and materials on their voyages. These included, but were not limited to, wine, pottery, silk, silver, amber, and spices.
On the other hand, they also sold numerous goods, including wool, iron, honey, fish, walrus ivory, and leather. They also bought and sold slaves on their sea trips (Vikings reached France, Italy, Britain, and a host of other countries).
In order to make sure that they got a fair deal, they also brought along sets of folding scales, which they used to ascertain the weight of the coins included in the transactions.
As the international tradesmen of their time, Vikings also founded trading cities - such as Ribe and Skiringsal - throughout Scandinavia.
Securing trade routes
In times of peril, when traditional trading routes revolving around the Mediterranean were threatened, they kept trading routes between Byzantium and the western countries open via Kiev and Russia.
Vikings are also famous for founding Dublin in Ireland and for contributing to the trade-fueled prosperity of York in England.
During their travels, Vikings made sure to stick close to shores when possible. If they couldn’t see the coast, they oriented themselves with the help of the sun and the stars (they’re famous for coming up with a device that functioned as a sun compass).
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