Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Exploration of role of trade and piracy at threshold of globalization (13th to 17th century), with focus on continuity and transformation in Asiatic trade network in response to early global trade. Investigation based on archaeological study of porcelain, tracing movement from kilns around Chinese trading ports to shipwrecks and consumer societies in Southeast Asia and colonial Americas. As one of most important commodities on trans-Pacific voyage, close association of porcelain production and trade with international piracy in traditional historiography presents new angle for understanding dynamics of early global trade and industries. Letter grading.
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