Exploration

junk

a sturdy, flat bottom Chinese boat

caravel

a small, highly maneuverable Portuguese ship used during the 1400's and 1500's

astrolabe

an instrument used by early astronomers to measure the angles of celestial bodies above the horizon which aides sailors in determining their position in the ocean

porcelain

glass-like material used to create unique items like bowls, dolls, plates, vases and other collectible items

Marco Polo

Italian traveler/ trader that traveled to China. Wrote a book sharing his knowledge with other Europeans

Timbuktu

famous African trading town in the Mali Empire

Islam

religion spread by Mansa Musa in the Mali empire after his trip to the holy city of Mecca

Zheng He

a famous Chinese explorer that explored the coasts of Africa and Asia

rudder

an invention that helps to steer a boat, first used on the Chinese junk

Mansa Musa

ruler of the Mali Empire from 1312 to 1337, spread Islam after visiting the holy city of Mecca

silk

fine material created by spinning silk from the silk worm, item most commonly traded on the Silk Road

compass

invention by the Chinese that uses magnetics to determine N, S, W, E

Kublai Khan

Mongolian ruler that hosted Marco Polo while traveling through China

Black Death

a deadly epidemic that spread across Europe in the mid 1300's and killed up to 1/3 of the population

Ibn Battuta

a well traveled Arab traveler and writer from Morocco that visited Egypt, Ethiopia, Syria, Asia Minor, Persia, India, Indonesia, China, and Spain