AI uncovers 461 years of British trade history
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Researchers at the University of Southampton used artificial intelligence to examine 100,000 pages of handwritten records from Britain’s maritime past.
The project spanned from the 16th Century Elizabethan Era to just before the 18th Century Industrial Revolution, revealing details about trade and the growth of the British Empire. The AI identified goods Britons traded, including coal, ale, toys from China, sheep guts, and Venice treacle, a popular herbal medicine.
The analysis showed Europe held a surprisingly large role in England’s trade even during the period of imperial expansion. Between 1696 and 1697, European markets accounted for around 80 percent of the recorded value of England’s overseas trade. The team also located lost towns like Ravenspurn in East Yorkshire, a former trading hub now submerged by the North Sea due to coastal erosion.
Researchers created an interactive map based on their findings, allowing users to explore the detailed trade routes and global impact of England over a two-century period.
