Changes

In fact, trade and migration of Indo-Aryans in the 3rd and 2nd millennium BCE likely began to expand black pepper outside of its traditional confines in India. Indo-Aryans began to migrate across the Near East and Europe, likely bringing their foods and tastes with them. However, archaeologically and historically, the remains of pepper are minimal. This likely suggests it was either not very popular or too expensive for common consumption. Pepper can be preserved through drying easily enough, suggesting it was not preservation that would have been a major hurdle for its spread. However, it's a relatively limited range where it can grow did likely make it more difficult to export to some markets.<ref>For more on migration and the movement of black pepper, see: Sidebotham, Steven E. 2011. <i>Berenike and the Ancient Maritime Spice Route.</i> The California World History Library 18. Berkeley: University of California Press.</ref>

[[File:Black_Pepper_-_Raw.jpeg|thumbnail|left|300px|Black pepper vine with raw peppers]]

Trade-in black pepper seems to have expanded by the 4th century BCE, reaching the Aegean and Europe more frequently. Black pepper was used as a spice for food, in particular meat. Dried foods such as meat often lacked taste; pepper was seen to make stored foods that were dried or salted more flavorful. This period represented some of the early developments of what would become the Silk Road, suggesting some of the trade in spices such as pepper and black pepper specifically would have come via this route. With the conquests of Alexander, Greek colonists were now reaching India, and contacts became more common.