Where did ancient spices come from?

One of the most important Greek medicinal spices was used as early as the 7th century BCE and was known as Silphium, a plant that went extinct in the 1st century CE. Many spices originated from particular regions in the classical world, however they made their way invariably from one region to another across the ancient world through trade.

Where did spices come from in the Silk Roads?

These ‘spice routes’ made up just one maritime part of the expansive trade networks of the Silk Roads. From as early as 2000 BC, spices such as cinnamon from Sri Lanka and cassia from China were exported along the Silk Roads as far west as the Arabian Peninsula and the Iranian Plateau.

Why are spices called spices?

Spices classified as coriander, fennel, juniper, cumin, garlic and thyme are named in 1550 BCE Egyptian papyri for their specific health effects. The early Chinese publication of Shennong Ben Cao Jing, or The Classic of Herbal Medicine dating from around 2700 BCE listed more than a hundred medicinal plants.