ABSTRACT
Long-distance trade across cultural lines may be one of the most important issues in global expansion and history. It connects varying kingdoms and monarchs, cultures, religions, and areas with different languages, different forms of exchange (shells, ivory, gold, silver, coins), and various specializations or produce. The big questions are: how did long-distance traders overcome cultural differences? How did traders with different backgrounds develop trust and create lasting economic relationships? These cross-cultural traders were not only traders and businessmen, but also cross-cultural brokers: they were interpreters and translators and they were creative trust creators.
