Foundations 8,000 BCE

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• Foundations 8,000 BCE 600 CE

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• Trade evident even at the hunter-gatherer level
• Evidence of boats used for river/sea trade
• Catal Huyuk prospered from obsidian trade
• Trade based on barter

Catal Huyuk
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• Mesopotamia
• Had to import timber, metals, and stone from as
  far away as India
• Downriver traffic only- boats dismantled and wood
  sold
• Boats used for heavy loads such as grain
• Land routes used for lighter and more precious
  loads
• Invention of wheel allowed greater loads

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• Trade initially under control of royalty/priests
  but devolved to merchant class over time
• Cuneiform developed to record business
  transactions
• Barter or silver used as means of exchange until
  introduction of coins after sixth century BCE
• Conquest used as a means to secure resources

Scribes record the amount of goods
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• Hittites
• semi-control of metals including iron due to
  ownership of mineral deposits

Kingdom of the Hittites
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• Phoenicians
• Major maritime trade state
• Established trade colonies throughout
  Mediterranean and Black seas
• First to use polar star for navigation
• Acted as trucking company for major states

Phoenicians trading with Egyptians
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• Egypt
• Extensive trade with Mesopotamia, the Minoans,
  and indirectly with India
• Strong interest in Nubia and trade with south and
  central Africa
• Imported raw resources, slaves, gold, and
  aromatic resins for mummification

Egyptian trade routes
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• Nubia (Kush)
• Acted as intermediary between Egypt and Africa in
  trade
• Possessed natural resources (gold)
• Slave trade

Kushite pharaoh
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• Geographic shift towards Meroe
• Meroe culture moved away from Egyptian influences
  towards sub-Saharan
• Economy collapsed after Rome shifted trade to Red
  Sea and Axum (Ethiopia)

Iron-making in Meroe
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• The Indus (Harappa)
• Widespread trade contacts in east and west
  Mesopotamia and possibly China
• Access to rich metal ores more metal tools than
  Mesopotamia and Egypt
• Seals may be the names of merchants

Harappan Seal
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• Shang China
• Despite isolation, trade contacts with India and
  Central Asia
• Some evidence of contact with Mesopotamia
• Large use of bronze emphasis on trade routes
  for copper and tin

Shang bronze vessel
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• Greece
• Natural harbors and islands made sea travel
  fastest and cheapest mode of trade
• Lack of natural resources such as metals and
  timber and lack of arable lands made trade vital
• Success or failure in trade impacted the rise and
  fall of civilizations

The coastline of Greece
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• Minoans
• Major maritime trade state
• Trade contacts with all of Mediterranean and
  Middle East
• Spread Egyptian and Persian ideas to Mycenaeans
  and later Greek societies
• Linear A possibly used to record lists of goods
  and other business transactions

The Minoans
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• Mycenaeans
• Linear B used to record lists of goods and
  business transactions
• State control of key industries including wool
  production
• Supplanted Minoans as regional transporters
• Metals in great demand gold for rulers and
  copper/tin for bronze

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• Mycenaeans both traders and pirates preyed on
  weak states
• Conflict with Troy and Hittites over control of
  trade in the Aegean and Back Seas

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• Carthage
• Established as a colony by Phoenicians
• Maritime trade power dominated the western
  Mediterranean
• Economic policies focused on protection of sea
  lanes and securing natural resources
• Some evidence of trade w/sub-Saharan Africa and
  British Isles

City of Carthage
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• Greek City-States
• Colonies established to
• Act as bases for trade
• Relieve population pressures
• Provide food for mother city-state
• Sparta
• To emphasize equality Spartans banned precious
  metals and coins
• Spartans forbidden to engage in commerce

Spartan hoplites
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• Athens
• Size of Athenian navy allowed Athens to project
  power to enhance commercial interests
• Transformation of Delian League into trade
  association
• Commercial estates wine and oil exports

An Athenian Trireme
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• Hellenistic Civilizations
• Greek culture widespread based on empire of
  Alexander the Great
• Alexandria nexus of Mediterranean and Indian
  Ocean trade (via Red Sea)

Hellenic Trade Routes
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• Rome
• Central location positive impact on trade
• Territorial expansion brought in revenue and
  surplus goods from new provinces
• Roman provincial towns drew in artisans and
  merchants from all over

Busy Roman port
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• The Roman military spurred trade in the provinces
• Pax Romana era of peace and prosperity
• Major import was gain to feed poor

Poor Romans crowd the busy streets
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Roman grain trade
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Roman Mediterranean trade
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Roman eastern trade
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• China
• Encouraged technological innovation
• Construction of roads and canals stimulated trade
• Development of the Silk Road
• Silk exports
• Merchant class held in low esteem

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• India
• Due to absence of strong rule (political
  fragmentation), merchant guilds became very
  powerful
• Trade contacts with China and Roman Empire
• Decline of Rome resulted in increased trade with
  SE Asia and China export of Indian culture

Hindu temples Angkor Wat, Cambodia
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• Changes
• Move from barter to coins as system of exchange
• Greater interaction between civilizations
  direct links between Rome and China
• Cultural diffusion through trade spread of
  religion, architecture, disease
• Decline in trade in Europe after fall of Rome

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• Continuities
• Dominance of India and China in trade
• Chinas demand for silver
• The Silk Road and Indian Ocean trade routes
• Constantinople as western trade hub