Oases (palm tree) and different trade routes in the Sahara Desert.

Abstract

Individual oasis settlements are grouped based on their location in the same valley, depression, or region (compare S1 File: Table S1). The trade routes represent the pathways between stop-over sites (trade nodes, such as marketplaces). Trade routes are used for the transport of cargo and provide a link between producers and buyers (based on Old World Trade Routes Project: http://www.ciolek.com/owtrad.html [58]). The map shows that oases are often located along trade routes and form important trade nodes along these routes.</p