What kind of networks were there in the 1500s?

In the 1500s, networks primarily consisted of trade routes and diplomatic relationships. The Age of Exploration led to maritime networks connecting Europe with Asia, Africa, and the Americas, facilitating the exchange of goods, ideas, and cultures. Overland trade routes, such as the Silk Road, remained significant, while emerging colonial networks began to reshape global interactions. Additionally, informal networks of knowledge and power existed among scholars, merchants, and political entities.