History History of salt

1 history

1.1 ancient world
1.2 cities , wars

1.2.1 english -wich towns


1.3 salt trade

history

the sečovlje saltworks on northern adriatic sea started in antiquity , first mentioned in 804 in document on placitum of riziano.


ancient world

solnitsata, earliest known town in europe built around salt production facility. located in present-day bulgaria, archaeologists believe town accumulated wealth supplying salt throughout balkans.

salt of high value jews, greeks, chinese, hittites , other peoples of antiquity. aside being contributing factor in development of civilization, salt used in military practice of salting earth various peoples, beginning assyrians. in years of roman republic, growth of city of rome, roads built make transportation of salt capital city easier. example via salaria (originally sabine trail), leading rome adriatic sea. adriatic, having higher salinity due shallow depth, had more productive solar ponds compared of tyrrhenian sea, closer rome. word salary comes latin word salt. reason unknown; persistent modern claim roman legions paid in salt baseless.

vertical derricks , drilling rig qing dynasty zigong, china extracting brine deep underground wells.

during late roman empire , throughout middle ages salt precious commodity carried along salt roads heartland of germanic tribes. caravans consisting of many forty thousand camels traversed 4 hundred miles of sahara bearing salt inland markets in sahel, trading salt slaves: timbuktu huge salt , slave market.

salt in chinese history both driver of technological development , stable source of revenue imperial government.

in old testament, mosaic law calls salt added burnt animal sacrifices (lev. 2:13) , compares priestly covenant between god , kohen patrilineal descendants of ahron salt.

the book of ezra (550 bc 450 bc) associated accepting salt person being in person s service. in ezra 4:14, adversaries of ezra , company, in letter of complaint artaxerxes of persia explain loyalty king. when translated, either stated literally because have eaten salt of palace or more figuratively because have maintenance king .

salt used metaphor in bible. in new testament, matthew 5:13, jesus said, salt of earth . added if salt loses flavor, nothing trampled. in addition, preservative quality of salt in view here show how disciples called preserve society , world around them moral decay. on occasion, according gospels, jesus commanded followers ...have salt within them.

in luke 14:34-35 jesus concludes series of parables on cost of following him parable of spent salt. seems follow him salt. learn follow him should expect spent, chunks of salt after use. furthermore, should prepare useful until end, long haul. in parable, used salt , bad become useless salt. illustration ties in 2 preceding ones (luke 14:28-33) of counting cost: disciples must prepare, counting cost, salty long needed.

cities , wars

salt production on læsø, denmark (reconstruction)

salt has played prominent role in determining power , location of world s great cities. liverpool rose small english port become prime exporting port salt dug in great cheshire salt mines , became entrepôt of world s salt in 19th century.

salt created , destroyed empires. salt mines of poland led vast kingdom in 16th century, demolished when germans brought in sea salt (which of world considered superior rock salt). venice fought , won war genoa on salt. however, genoese christopher columbus , giovanni caboto later destroy mediterranean trade introducing new world market.

cities, states , duchies along salt roads exacted heavy duties , taxes salt passing through territories. practice caused formation of cities, such city of munich in 1158, when duke of bavaria, henry lion, decided bishops of freising no longer needed salt revenue.

the gabelle—a hated french salt tax—was enacted in 1286 , maintained until 1790. because of gabelles, common salt of such high value caused mass population shifts , exodus, attracted invaders , caused wars.

in american history, salt has been major factor in outcomes of wars. in revolutionary war, british used loyalists intercept revolutionaries salt shipments , interfere ability preserve food. during war of 1812, salt brine used pay soldiers in field, government poor pay them money. before lewis , clark set out louisiana territory, president jefferson in address congress mentioned mountain of salt, 180 miles long , 45 wide, supposed lie near missouri river, have been of inconceivable value, reason expedition.

during india s independence movement, mohandas gandhi organized salt satyagraha protest demonstrate against british salt tax.

english -wich towns

wich , wych names associated (but not exclusively) brine springs or wells in england. derived latin vicus, meaning place , 11th century use of wich suffix in placenames associated places specialised function including of salt production. several english places carry suffix , historically related salt, including 4 cheshire witches of middlewich, nantwich, northwich , leftwich (a small village south of northwich), , droitwich in worcestershire. middlewich, nantwich, northwich , droitwich known domesday wiches due mention in domesday book, indication of significance of salt-working towns in economy of region, , indeed of country .

salt trade

monopolies on salt production , trade essential aspects of government revenue in imperial china , of 20th century.

during modern times, became more profitable sell salted food pure salt. sources of food salt went hand in hand salt making. british controlled saltworks in bahamas north american cod fisheries. search oil in late 19th , 20th centuries used technology , methods pioneered salt miners, degree looked oil salt domes located.