The Year 1000: When Explorers Connected the World – and Globalization Began
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- Create Date：2021-04-05 13:51:55
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Valerie Hansen
- ISBN：0241351278
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Summary
When did globalization begin？ Most observers have settled on 1492， the year Columbus discovered America。 But as celebrated Yale professor Valerie Hansen shows， it was the year 1000， when for the first time new trade routes linked the entire globe， so an object could in theory circumnavigate the world。 This was the 'big bang' of globalization， which ushered in a new era of exploration and trade， and which paved the way for Europeans to dominate after Columbus reached America。
Drawing on a wide range of new historical sources and cutting-edge archaeology， Hansen shows， for example， that the Maya began to trade with the native peoples of modern New Mexico from traces of theobromine - the chemical signature of chocolate - and that frozen textiles found in Greenland contain hairs from animals that could only have come from North America。
Moreover， Hansen turns accepted wisdom on its head， revealing not only that globalization began much earlier than previously thought， but also that the world's first anti-globalization riots did too， in cities such as Cairo， Constantinople， and Guangzhou。
Introducing players from Europe， the Islamic world， Asia， the Indian Ocean maritime world， the Pacific and the Mayan world who were connecting the major landmasses for the first time， this compelling revisionist argument shows how these encounters set the stage for the globalization that would dominate the world for centuries to come。
Drawing on a wide range of new historical sources and cutting-edge archaeology， Hansen shows， for example， that the Maya began to trade with the native peoples of modern New Mexico from traces of theobromine - the chemical signature of chocolate - and that frozen textiles found in Greenland contain hairs from animals that could only have come from North America。
Moreover， Hansen turns accepted wisdom on its head， revealing not only that globalization began much earlier than previously thought， but also that the world's first anti-globalization riots did too， in cities such as Cairo， Constantinople， and Guangzhou。
Introducing players from Europe， the Islamic world， Asia， the Indian Ocean maritime world， the Pacific and the Mayan world who were connecting the major landmasses for the first time， this compelling revisionist argument shows how these encounters set the stage for the globalization that would dominate the world for centuries to come。
Reviews
Marco Wolf
，
Fascinating。 Deep research book and excellently readable。 Bringing medieval times nearby。 Making you realize globalization occurred a 1。000 years ago。
Nina
，
This book does away with the very eurocentric idea that globalisation began when Columbus "discovered" America， or with industrialisation， or wherever around this time you would like to pinpoint it。Actually， the connection of trade and contact routes already stretched around the globe with the Vikings travelling to North America， with the Silk Road and other trade routes in Asia， the Middle East and Africa， with Polynesians spreading out in the Pacific。 China was already a globalised trade centr This book does away with the very eurocentric idea that globalisation began when Columbus "discovered" America， or with industrialisation， or wherever around this time you would like to pinpoint it。Actually， the connection of trade and contact routes already stretched around the globe with the Vikings travelling to North America， with the Silk Road and other trade routes in Asia， the Middle East and Africa， with Polynesians spreading out in the Pacific。 China was already a globalised trade centre long before the Portuguese spread out and tapped those existing markets。 A well-researched and captivating read that definitely taught me many things about how to view the world， and world history。 。。。more
Emily
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This was a fun one！ The year 1000 feels so remote that it was very interesting to learn just how similar （and， of course， still quite different） societies were then。 Before this book， I was aware of Viking voyages and the Silk Road， but no other major interchanges that far back。 What a delight to learn that people were meeting， mixing， and trading on a much bigger scale than I had realized。
Wayne To
，
Good historical research and content。 I'm not in agreement with Hansen's loose definition and use of the term "globalization" and she doesn't frame her content into a cohesive narrative。 Good historical research and content。 I'm not in agreement with Hansen's loose definition and use of the term "globalization" and she doesn't frame her content into a cohesive narrative。 。。。more
Caroline
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Only got thru the first chapter。 Interesting， but not riveting and too intellectual。
Ceder
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i like the part about byzantium and mansa musa an vikings in north america
Louise Roth
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Loved it！
Mateo Zumpano
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Savor the Viking chapters。 Went in craving Viking lore and was satisfied。 Globalization’s Norse catalysts left some epic traces to tell the story。 Lost some interest in the later chapters describing seemingly endless tribes of South East Asia/ Middle East and their dabbles in globalization。 Still lots of cool nuggets throughout。 Good read。
Joan Barden
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A great overview of the world around 1000 AD showing how the world was already connected in many ways by trade and established travel routes。 For me， it was very interesting to see how the European history I knew intercepted the history of other regions of the world。 This was a very readable history with much interesting material and provocative theories that need further investigation。
Rebecka
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I have to admit that when I think of year 1000， I don't think of anything very complex。 I imagine farmers and simple societies， despite this actually being the second book on the topic that I've listened to。 It's just amazing imagining what Asia and Africa was like in those times （perhaps minus the extensive slavery）， and I just wish there were more written materials left。 The audiobook narrator kind of annoyed me with her poor prononciation of foreign words - especially when she went ALL OUT wi I have to admit that when I think of year 1000， I don't think of anything very complex。 I imagine farmers and simple societies， despite this actually being the second book on the topic that I've listened to。 It's just amazing imagining what Asia and Africa was like in those times （perhaps minus the extensive slavery）， and I just wish there were more written materials left。 The audiobook narrator kind of annoyed me with her poor prononciation of foreign words - especially when she went ALL OUT with all the Spanish words。 If you can't pronounce a single foreign word， at least be consistent and butcher the Spanish ones as well。 This book should be a TV miniseries。 It's quite hard following all the different areas， rulers， periods etc。 on audio only， when borders keep moving around， and when you don't have any maps in front of you。 。。。more
Drake McCrary
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Good for a reference book but like all references books it tries to cover too much ground。
Liesje Leest
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It's no secret that the middle ages aren't exactly my favorite time period to study。 I do however love anything to do with exploration and long journeys and I think globalization is very interesting。 And this book has all of that。 Some things I already knew about， but a lot of information was new to me。 I liked the way the information was told， it's very accessible and easy to understand。 The book covers many different areas of the globe， you travel from one place to the next， and all of it is c It's no secret that the middle ages aren't exactly my favorite time period to study。 I do however love anything to do with exploration and long journeys and I think globalization is very interesting。 And this book has all of that。 Some things I already knew about， but a lot of information was new to me。 I liked the way the information was told， it's very accessible and easy to understand。 The book covers many different areas of the globe， you travel from one place to the next， and all of it is connected in one way or anther。 Great book！ 。。。more
Oliver
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This tracks the trends of globalization in medieval times across a multitude of countries。 And it doesn’t only focus on Europe， which was great。 I did find I had to push myself through this book a bit。 I’m still not used to reading history books。
John Williams
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Great tool to further understanding of the world in 1000， especially on the Asian continent。
Margaret Nash
，
Very interesting！ A complete reframing of when globalization began。 Sometimes I got lost in unfamiliar names and places， but otherwise I enjoyed this a lot。 Here's a tidbit I found fascinating: the indigenous peoples of Madagascar spoke a language that was not related to any East African languages， although Madagascar was only 250 miles away。 They spoke a language related to Polynesian， although Polynesia was thousands of miles away！ The Polynesians were amazing sailors and navigators。 Very interesting！ A complete reframing of when globalization began。 Sometimes I got lost in unfamiliar names and places， but otherwise I enjoyed this a lot。 Here's a tidbit I found fascinating: the indigenous peoples of Madagascar spoke a language that was not related to any East African languages， although Madagascar was only 250 miles away。 They spoke a language related to Polynesian， although Polynesia was thousands of miles away！ The Polynesians were amazing sailors and navigators。 。。。more
Tommy Turner
，
This book is an awesome follow on to Guns， Germs and Steel。 It does an amazing job of exploring and explaining the broad sweep of the world that existed one or two eons ago， how it differed， and how it was similar to our current reality。 Even more importantly， it helps explain what followed and how much things changed in the years between 1，000 and now。
Matt
，
This is a solid overview of various global interactions that were occurring roughly around 1000 C。E。， give or take a couple hundred years （though there are indeed a surprisingly high number of important dates very close to the titular year）。 In a short book covering such a vast scope， it is to be expected that it merely whets the appetite without quite bedding it back down again， but that is certainly satisfactory for an introductory work。 It is harder to accept the vague premise that 1000 C。E。 This is a solid overview of various global interactions that were occurring roughly around 1000 C。E。， give or take a couple hundred years （though there are indeed a surprisingly high number of important dates very close to the titular year）。 In a short book covering such a vast scope， it is to be expected that it merely whets the appetite without quite bedding it back down again， but that is certainly satisfactory for an introductory work。 It is harder to accept the vague premise that 1000 C。E。 was a particular turning point for globalization rather than a gradual inevitability that was in process from the centuries even before this book's chronology began and continuing immediately after its end。 （The epilogue immediately jumps to later European exploration a few centuries later， but there was hardly any global standstill in the interim。） Part of me wonders if this premise is based merely on the catchy title， as Hansen does not really pursue it very far in the actual text。 If one simply encounters this book looking for a general summary of global interaction during a certain timespan， though， Hansen does provide a fine presentation。 。。。more
Robert Gebhardt
，
I enjoyed the details regarding the Norse people coming to the New World。 Intriguing also how murals from the Yucatan depicting blond captives， and Norse style boats， may represent the fact that some went down there。 Also interesting how people from Africa had been seen in the same area。 I was sort of amazed that William the conqueror didn't play a role in this book。 Norman （and Norse） conquests did， but maybe 1066 was too late？ Also odd was the focus on the Song dynasty in China， since Tang was I enjoyed the details regarding the Norse people coming to the New World。 Intriguing also how murals from the Yucatan depicting blond captives， and Norse style boats， may represent the fact that some went down there。 Also interesting how people from Africa had been seen in the same area。 I was sort of amazed that William the conqueror didn't play a role in this book。 Norman （and Norse） conquests did， but maybe 1066 was too late？ Also odd was the focus on the Song dynasty in China， since Tang was supposed to be the more "global" dynasty。 Although I guess that dynasty would have been too early。 So maybe trying to fit everything into the year 1000 was a bit too narrow。 Obviously she veers away from that precise year， but maybe the window should have been a bit more open to maintain the "globalization" theme。 The section on the Rus was also all new to me， so that was fascinating。 The section on the Austronesians was great， although "Sea People" went much more into depth about them。 。。。more
Cheryl Gatling
，
The premise of this book is that globalization， which we think of as something that began when Europeans began colonizing the rest of the world， and really took off when planes， trains and automobiles， and the internet， made travel and communication quick and easy， really began long before。 In the year 1000 people were already traveling and trading with people in distant lands。The year 1000 is an approximate date。 The book narrates events that took place a century or two before or after 1000。 Bu The premise of this book is that globalization， which we think of as something that began when Europeans began colonizing the rest of the world， and really took off when planes， trains and automobiles， and the internet， made travel and communication quick and easy， really began long before。 In the year 1000 people were already traveling and trading with people in distant lands。The year 1000 is an approximate date。 The book narrates events that took place a century or two before or after 1000。 But， the author says， around the year 1000 changes in agricultural practice （growing more cereal grains， and settling in permanent communities） led to an increase in population， so that some people were freed from subsistence to become merchants。The Vikings made settlements on Iceland and Greenland and the coast of Canada， and thus connected with the peoples of the Americas。 One of the most striking bits of information in the whole book is early on， on page 56。 A painted mural on a Mayan temple shows men with blond hair being sacrificed。 Another mural shows a boat that looks very much like a Viking ship。 Could those yellow haired men have been Vikings who reached Central America？ Sailed down the coast， or were blown far off course？ Well， they could。 It isn’t much to go on， but it’s fun to think about。 And anyway， the men in that painting didn’t live to tell their tale。On the American continent， there were active trade routes。 The earthworks of Cahokia， in Illinois， contain an obsidian knife from Mexico。 The residents of Chaco Canyon traded turquoise to the Mayans of Mexico， and received chocolate and Macaw feathers。Back in Europe， the Rus， who were Scandinavians， invaded Eastern Europe， first to plunder， and then to conquer。 They received “tribute” of furs and slaves， and sold the slaves to Constantinople and Baghdad。 So many Eastern Europeans， or Slavic peoples， were sold as slaves， that that’s where the word “slave” comes from。 Trade routes crossed Africa as well。 The Africans imported Chinese ceramics， silk and cotton textiles， and exported slaves and gold。 Arabia， India and South Asian regions shipped “aromatics” to China， scented woods such as aloeswood and sandalwood， perfumed tree resins such as frankincense and myrrh， and spices to China， which were highly sought after。 Even the people who stayed home were affected by this global trade， because they were employed in producing goods for it。About this time， whole regions were choosing up new religions。 Prince Vladimir of the Rus chose Eastern Orthodox Christianity。 Asia split into a Muslim west and a Buddhist east。 This affected globalization as people began to identify with their broader religious bloc。 They partnered with their co-religionists， and raided those of different faiths。There is plenty more。 How Muslim lands became centers of learning。 How horsemen of the steppes sold their skills as archers， and the world’s fastest horses。 How the Polynesians traveled to Hawaii and New Zealand in canoes。 The point is that people everywhere were interacting with each other。 The European colonizers didn’t invent globalization from scratch， but co-opted networks that were already in place。 And the conclusion？ Globalization， then as now， did not benefit everyone， but the people who were most open to the new and unfamiliar， fared best。 。。。more
Donna Snyder
，
I really enjoyed this book。 It took a year in history， albeit encompassed a few centuries before and after， and connected it globally。 This would be an interesting and memorable way to teach history。 How many of us were taught 1000 AD was the "dark age？" This book illuminates a very active time in history。 I really enjoyed this book。 It took a year in history， albeit encompassed a few centuries before and after， and connected it globally。 This would be an interesting and memorable way to teach history。 How many of us were taught 1000 AD was the "dark age？" This book illuminates a very active time in history。 。。。more
Paul Hocking
，
A fantastic story of world history。 A really enjoyable read and will give you a greater understanding of the world - both in the year 1000， but also in 2020。 Highly recommended。
Manon
，
Interessant boek over de vroege globalisering。 Er zijn een aantal leerrijke hoofdstukken en leuke weetjes oa over de Noormannen。 Het boek is wel zeer gedetailleerd （lees: te gedetailleerd） waardoor het vaak moeilijk is de aandacht erbij te houden。
Jonathan
，
Some compelling information that surprised me but some unbelievably dull sections covering China and Islam。 Really， who gives a damn？ Publish in those markets if that's your specialization。 England was completely ignored， as if it didn't even exist in 1000。 By "completely，" I exaggerate， but thus is my irritation with this author。 Next this author will be linking the magnificent Chinese empire with Communism and saying it's the best system humans have invented。 Prove me wrong！ I will avoid this Some compelling information that surprised me but some unbelievably dull sections covering China and Islam。 Really， who gives a damn？ Publish in those markets if that's your specialization。 England was completely ignored， as if it didn't even exist in 1000。 By "completely，" I exaggerate， but thus is my irritation with this author。 Next this author will be linking the magnificent Chinese empire with Communism and saying it's the best system humans have invented。 Prove me wrong！ I will avoid this author in the future。 。。。more
Jack Laschenski
，
How depressing。Slavery was the biggest business in Africa in 1000。 And continued to be so for another 1000 years。Enslaved black people were shipped East and West by the hundreds of thousands。And the Vikings seemed to have controlled most of Europe and the Middle East。And Latin America had a thriving culture。And China was the biggest treat to all。
Michael Miller
，
Although the narrative is often overburdened with details and names， the overarching story of trade and travel at the end of the first millennium makes this an interesting read。
JulieLaLa
，
Not a book I would recommend。 Seemed to veer off track to discuss other issues having little or nothing to do with globalization。 I didn’t learn much。
Laura May
，
An interesting， detailed overview， though it did become a bit overwhelming by the end。 I particularly enjoyed the earlier chapters， on Vikings， Amerindians， and the Rus。
Ken Hall
，
Our educational system taught me that Europe globalized the world。。。as if nothing interesting or of merit occurred during the Dark Ages。 Fascinating and helpful to learn that global trade routes were well established prior to Europe entering the marketplace and using those very same routes。 Enlightening book。
Mark Coenen
，
Voor zij die denken dat de beschaving pas begon in de twintigste eeuw。
Eddy Van Den Eede
，