Silent trade

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/silent-trade

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is silent trade?Silent trade is a way people swapped goods without talking. Traders left items in a special spot and used sounds like drums or gongs to signal. Then the other group would come, leave their own goods, and the trade would finish when the first group took what they wanted.
2. How did traders use silent trade to swap goods?Traders would put their goods in a known place, wait for a signal, then the other group would come, look at the goods, leave their own items, and then both groups would check each other’s offers until they agreed.

Dumb Barter: An older term for silent trade, where 'dumb' refers to the absence of spoken language in the transaction.
Depot Trade: A synonym for silent trade, emphasizing the use of designated locations or depots for goods exchange.
Interregional Trade: Commerce conducted between different regions, often involving the exchange of goods that are not locally available.