Viking Age Trade Routes

This episode examines Viking trade from the 8th to 11th centuries, highlighting their role as merchants as well as raiders. It covers their vast trade networks along the Volga and Dnieper routes, linking Northern Europe to the Islamic world and Byzantium. The discussion includes the bullion economy based on weighed silver and gold, major trade hubs like Hedeby and Birka, and the flow of goods such as furs, slaves, Arab coins, and silk-showing how commerce, especially the slave trade, underpinned Viking economic power.