Global Trade in the Ancient World (Understanding Global Trade & Commerce)

The place is ancient Egypt. You need lumber to build a house. No trees grow in Egypts desert, but a ship from Lebanon regularly brings cedar logs to a nearby port. How do you get lumber for your house? You take many bundles of papyrus and a sack of frankincense to the port and offer them to the ships captain in exchange for his logs. The captain knows he can sell your goods back home at a profit. You bargain, but in the end, he takes your goods, and you take his logs. International trade is born. This book traces trade in the ancient world from the Phoenicians sailing the Mediterranean Sea to the camel caravans traveling the 6,400 mile (10,000 km) Silk Route to traders who grew rich bringing spices by sea from Southeast Asia to Europe. Supply, demand, necessity, and the desire to show off ones status drove trade in the ancient world, much as it does today. Each title in this series contains color photos throughout, maps, and back matter including: a chronology, a detailed index and further reading lists for books and internet resources. Key Icons appear throughout the books in this series in an effort to encourage library readers to build knowledge, gain awareness, explore possibilities and expand their viewpoints through our content rich non-fiction books. Key Icons in this series are as follows: Words to Understand are shown at the front of each chapter with definitions. These words are set in boldfaced type in that chapter, so that readers are able to reference back to the definitions--building their vocabulary and enhancing their reading comprehension. Sidebars are highlighted graphics with content rich material within that allows readers to build knowledge and broaden their perspectives by weaving together additional information to provide realistic and holistic perspectiv