The city Constantinople was a port where ships came from around the globe. From the Black Sea came furs and hides, grain, salt and wine. From India, Ceylon, Syria and Arabia came spices, precious stones, and silk. From Africa, and from Scandinavia and Russia, came slavery and ivory. The emperors maintained a monopoly on the manufacture and sale of silk textiles, gold embroidery and purple dye until the eleventh century. The correct answer is B.