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Discoveries
In the late medieval period merchants transported Asian spices and luxury goods along lengthy land and sea routes to the Levant. From here European traders carried the goods to Mediterranean ports. In 1453, however, Ottoman Turks captured Constantinople, rendering the shipping lanes of the eastern Mediterranean virtually impassable. The supply of Asian goods was no longer reliable, and those that did reach Europe were extremely expensive. A new route to the East was needed.
Portuguese navigators, supported by royal patronage, were already exploring the west coast of Africa. These voyages were greatly facilitated by important advances in shipbuilding and naval gunnery. In 1488 the Portugese rounded the Cape of Good Hope. Ten years later Vasco da Gama succeeded in reaching the Malabar Coast of India, crossing the Indian Ocean with the aid of monsoon winds.
