Marco Polo Explorer

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Marco PoloExplorer

• By Erin Lynch
• Ms. Palmers class

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Marco Polo

• http//www.nndb.com/people/076/000084821/marco-pol
  o-1-sized.jpg

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Marco Polo

• Born in Venice, Italy in 1254
• First European to explore Chinese culture and
  document his travels
• His father was a traveling merchant
• It was his father that introduced exploration to
  Marco
• Alter, Judy. Extraordinary Explorers nd
  Adventures. Children's press, 2001.

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Marcos Journey

• At age 17 Marco traveled to China
• He traveled with his father and uncle
• They traveled for 3 years on the Great Silk Road
• They passed through many exotic lands.
• Alter, Judy. Extraordinary Explorers nd
  Adventures. Children's press, 2001.

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Map of Marco Polos Journey
http//www.aabne-samlinger.dk/rejsekufferten/marco
_polo_kort.gif
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Marco and Kublai Kahn

• Marco met Kublai Kahn the emperor of the
  Mongols.
• The Mongols were the rulers of China
• Kublai Kahn made Marco a senior official to his
  court.
• Marco traveled for nearly 20 years throughout
  China.
• Marshall, Davis. Explorers. New York Mallard P,
  1991.

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Places he explored

• Constantinople
• Japan
• Siberia
• Sri Lanka
• Sumatra
• Malaya
• China

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Why is Marco Famous?

• He documented his travels of China
• He told his story to a writer while he was a
  prisoner of war.
• The writer was Rusticiano of Pisa
• The book was called The Travels of Marco Polo
• People did not believe his stories until
  recently
• His book inspired other explorers, including
  Christopher Columbus.
• Marshall, Davis. Explorers. New York Mallard
  P, 1991.

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Marcos discoveries

• He discovered the use of the spice ginger
• He found that the Chinese invented gun powder
• He found that the Chinese printed books with
  stamps long before it was developed in Europe.
• The Chinese used paper money before Europeans did.

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Marco Polo

• Marcos findings made it possible for others to
  explore China further.
• His book is a valuable source for studying early
  Chinese history.
• Marco Polo died in 1324 at age 70
• He said before he died that he did not record
  half of what he saw.
• Alter, Judy. Extraordinary Explorers nd
  Adventures. Children's press, 2001.