Trade in the Early Bronze Age: Ancient Mesopotamia and the East (Harappan Civilization, Oxus & Elam)

Ever wonder how a land without any natural resources of its own could go on to become the world's first great urban civilization? How did copper, tin, silver, carnelian, lapis lazuli and other important commodities get to the markets and workshops of ancient Mesopotamia? This video takes a look at how international trade with the east facilitated the economic growth of the lands of Sumer and Akkad.
Contents:
00:00 Introduction
01:35 Commodities and Luxury Goods
04:15 Love of Lapis Lazuli
06:50 Types of Trade Networks
08:11 Shahr-e Sokhta
08:58 Tepe Hissar
10:58 Thank You and Patrons
Related Videos:
The Complete and Concise History of the Sumerians and Early Bronze Age Mesopotamia (7000-2000 BC)
• The Complete and Conci...
Introduction to the Seriously Underrated Indus Valley / Harappan Civilization
• Introduction to the Se...
Ancient Mesopotamia's Neighbors: The Mysterious Peoples of the Zagros Mountains of Iran
• Ancient Mesopotamia's ...
Sources and Suggested Reading:
Civilization Before Greece and Rome - H. W. F. Saggs
The Sumerian World - Harriet Crawford
The Ancient Indus Valley: New Perspectives - Jane R. McIntosh
Journey to the City: A Companion to the Middle East Galleries at the Penn Museum - Steve Tinney and Karen Sonik
The Archaeology of Iran from the Palaeolithic to the Achaemenid Empire - Roger Matthews and Hassan Fazeli Nashli
Civilizations of the Ancient Near East Vol. III - Ed. by Jack Sasson
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#sumer #bronzeage #harappancivilisation

[@TheCommandingChicken]

Yeah sourcing metals can be pretty rough, luckily I know a guy who says he can supply me with some good quality copper.

[@marginbuu212]

I heard he's hard to get to. You'd have to send your servant through enemy territory.

[@cal2127]

he stopped responding to my tablets

[@laxman90210]

He just told me he scored some fine copper wire

[@Drietfoga]

Bronze age shitposts destroyed my mind, when I saw the statue on the left I instantly heard UVVVREEEEAAAA in my head

[@Jeyeyeyey]

getoutofmyheadgetoutofmyheadgetoutofmyhead

[@brixcosmo6849]

Great! Specially for those that somehow negate any influence of Sumerian and Levantine Civilizations in Egypt and Indus Valley Civilizations. They were all connected and all learnt from each other!

[@Ukr1018]

Another interesting thing is that trade between the two basically stopped when Rimush of Akkad went to war with the Harappans in Marhashi

[@srikanthmajor]

Interesting. Never heard Harappans in war. Any reference to this please

[@priyanks91]

Source ? This is the 1st I hear about a Harappan war

[@thevenbede767]

Marhashi wasn't Harappan as far as I know. It was located on the Iranian Plateau so probably between the Harappans and Elam

[@Ukr1018]

@@thevenbede767 it wasnt Harappan but the Harappans joined the war against the Akkadians

[@youtubeuser1993]

This is a lie propagated by Indian nationalists. I know this because I searched this war online and found zero mentions of it in academic sources, but some by longtime Indian nationalists I know

[@sethbartley2212]

this was great! yes more please. its fun to read about battles and dynasties, but rarely do we get a peak at all the logistical gears that kept all those things turning. (which is odd considering like 90% of ancient docs are stuff like inventory specs and receipts)

[@interdictr3657]

I am far more interested in the economics and logistics than the wars/battles. Getting to know how the society functioned( as far as we can tell)

[@jhonviel7381]

@@interdictr3657 yeah and how did the rich screw the poor back then, and what lies they used to motivate them before the soft sciences.

[@Breakfast_of_Champions]

The priests ran the agriculture. Taxation and redistribution through the temples, from daily pay in beer and bread to the annual harvest taxation. The king provides jurisdiction and periodically forgives accumulated debts in bad years etc to restore the initial state of things. The king also runs the army and public labor brigades.

[@AintNoFossil]

Socio-Economic, Cultural and Intellectual histories dominate academic circles. Political and Military histories are seldom taught. So, the latter is a breath of fresh air since the former is all I engage with, more or less.

[@HistorywithCy]

Thanks, will do! Glad to know there's interest in such topics. Thanks for watching!

[@ZiggysComputers]

As an Ethnic Assyrian I appreciate your channel.

[@HistorywithCy]

Thanks! I have a lot of Assyria-related content coming up too, stay tuned and thanks for watching!

[@anasevi9456]

Weeeee yes, another Cy video! Early bronze age culture is so fascinating, how they spanned such great distances from Mesopotamia west to Egypt, and likely even more so at higher volume; the trade between Sumer and Harrapan cultures.

[@HistorywithCy]

Thanks and hope this was useful... I'll put out some more vids related to this one in the future. As always thanks for watching!

[@keithharper32]

very informative. But you left out the most important thing to know about trade in the ancient world: don't buy your copper from Ea-Nasir!

[@screwyou7716]

Why do you say that? He's a respectable merchant

[@AloisWeimar]

for a minute I thought you were doing a parody of the “invest in crypto I know a guy” AI generated posts you see in YT comments all the time.

[@cthulu8mytoast]

I love watching historical videos of trade and economics of the ancient world. Some might think it dull, but I am fascinated how even in the past, goods and trade made the world go round.

[@RealConstantinusMagnus]

Can you make a chronological playlist of the history of the near East (Egypt, Persia, Mesopotamia, etc.)?

[@realwilldial]

Cy, do we know what the Sumerians were trading for the gold, copper, tin, carnelian, and lapis luzuli? It would need to be something that would be worth the effort to be sent east on the trade routes.

[@buzzpounds6462]

Can I get a second?

[@QalOrt]

What else do we know about the ancient cities between Susa and the Harrapan Civilisations and south of the Oxus? Is there anything easily accessible about those old cities?

[@Talz1803]

I would love to see more about ancient trade!

[@fdadachanji4635]

Thanks for the concise history Cy. Very informative!

[@HistorywithCy]

My pleasure, thanks for watching and for the continued support, really appreciate it!

[@sunnyshine762]

Yes! I love learning about things like trade, development of technologies/cultures and just every day life.

[@HistorywithCy]

Will hopefully have more such videos in the near future...thanks for watching!

[@hermescarraro3393]

Who would have guessed that a video about trading would be so... Interesting. Good job! It's Always nice to Remember how the ancient world was just as connected and vibrant as the current One. It show the hows and whys for the many connections between these vastly different and distant cultures, not Just in goods, but also in ideas and beliefs. People often forget these things. 🙂👍 Also, the thumbnail was weirdly funny for some reason. 😂

[@HistorywithCy]

Thanks! I hope to have some more videos on different aspects of trade soon. Lol yeah I kind of wanted to convey in the thumbnail the meeting of the two civilizations and that's all that I could come up with.

[@hermescarraro3393]

@@HistorywithCy Haha, I dig that. I found It funny because the mesopotamian statue you used for the thumbnail was recently turned into a meme, alongside the famous letter of complain about a merchant Who sold bad copper.

[@tammijatti9164]

Thanks!

[@HistorywithCy]

Thanks so much, really appreciate the support and glad you like the content! More on the way, stay tuned and thanks for watching!

[@tammijatti9164]

@@HistorywithCy brother I wish I could do more right now, I just can’t at the moment. I’ve always loved your content. I’m gonna do everything I can to help pay for it.

[@HistorywithCy]

@@tammijatti9164 No, please there's no need. I'm so grateful that viewers like you continue to watch, that's the greatest reward for me. Thanks so much for your support!

[@WanaxTV]

Awesome video! Always nice to see more Mesopotamia content!

[@Izwat]

Mesopotamia is a historical region located in the eastern Mediterranean, mainly within the borders of modern-day Iraq. The term "Mesopotamia" means "land between rivers" in Greek, referring to the fertile region situated between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Mesopotamia is often referred to as the cradle of civilization because it was one of the earliest known civilizations to develop in human history. It is renowned for its advanced city-states, complex societies, and significant contributions to various fields such as agriculture, writing, mathematics, law, and astronomy. Some of the most well-known civilizations that emerged in Mesopotamia include the Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians, and Assyrians. These civilizations built remarkable cities, developed sophisticated writing systems like cuneiform, and left behind impressive architectural structures such as ziggurats and palaces. Mesopotamia's historical significance lies not only in its cultural and technological achievements but also in its impact on subsequent civilizations. Many concepts, innovations, and cultural practices that originated in Mesopotamia influenced the development of later societies throughout the ancient Near East and beyond.

[@kalrandom7387]

Yes please, on more information about the trade networks. Distances and time frame for travel would be great. Information on when and where the same styles show up would be fantastic.

[@HistorywithCy]

Will look into it! Thanks so much for watching, appreciate it!

[@roykay4709]

Great to see trade explored. I hope you follow this up with the riverine/sea routes.

[@visionplant]

I'd love a video about the Early Bronze Age Levant as that's where Proto-Semitic was spoken according to Bayesian analysis

[@robbabcock_]

Great stuff, Cy!

[@pikmin4743]

excellent! more please!

[@sjoerdjuxta]

thanks for the great vids

[@RealUvane]

Very good video!

[@user-eh6th9wj5k]

Great video! Keep it rolling!

[@HistorywithCy]

My pleasure, thanks for watching!

[@jimmysanchez2875]

Like always great work Cy! Mesopotamia is so rich in history. I was wondering if perhaps you could do a video of the navy battles between the kingdom of alashiya and the hittites?

[@christopherstorey1125]

Yes, great, and a vote for more !

[@geraldmeehan8942]

Thank you for yet another informative and entertaining episode. Keep up the good work!

[@arnaldorentes5371]

Amazing video! THANK YOU!

[@HistorywithCy]

Glad you liked it, thanks for watching!

[@johnnyboeck8952]

I've been looking for early bronze trade info and heres cy with the answers I seek.

[@Amadeu.Macedo]

Outstanding!

[@HistorywithCy]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!

[@mdstanton1813]

Hey Cy! Thanks for keeping up the great work

[@HistorywithCy]

My pleasure, thanks for continuing to tune in for these, really appreciate it!

[@theScrupulousBerserker]

Just started & Im curious right off the jump to see if the dragon Kur (or, underworld of Mesopotamian mythology aka the Zagros Mountain Range) is mentioned in this one. Always confuses me when historians always mention Tiamat as the 1st dragon from mythology & antiquity. However, in hronological terms, Kur pre-dates Tiamat, yet is hardly ever touched on. I find VERY LITTLE data on thr interweb when resSearching ol' Kur. I wonder why that is & curious if you have any insight into this one @History with Cy ? Big fan of your channel & I have noticed that might just be reciprocal, much obliged if so! skål 🐾

[@psychosytheXmediaXco]

​@Handler549You know, I never thought about it, but it would be really weird for there not to be a place in Greece called Mesopotamia

[@lughaidhmoutia3589]

Thank you

[@HistorywithCy]

You're welcome, thanks for watching!

[@rawr2u190]

Oh I always wondered about this topic!

[@HistorywithCy]

Hope you enjoyed it and thanks for watching!

[@wes4736]

Yaaaay, new history with cy video

[@HistorywithCy]

Thanks for watching, appreciate it!

[@shipsey2]

This is a good video of the inside of trade keep it up more videos like this please

[@HistorywithCy]

Thanks man for continuing to tune in, appreciate the support!

[@professor0076]

CY with the question u asked: do we want more content like this? answer is yes! sorry cy i just can't get Egypt vids down correctly. i will try again with ur's also. i tried but my head injuries just make my mind blank when i try to connect with egypt's time line. i do got help ....Eggos!.... eggos do help but i didn't research their history. thanks again! .

[@joeshmoe8345]

Thanks

[@HistorywithCy]

You're welcome!

[@JonoWarrior_K]

Funny how I'm just now reading Amanda Podany's Brotherhood of Kings which is all about ANE inernational relations and everything in this video in greater detail. It's a great read so far.

[@HistorywithCy]

Nice, it's a great book. Her latest one Weavers, Scribes, and Kings is also good. I also recommend Letters of the Great Kings of the Ancient Near East by Trevor Bryce...it's similar to the one you're reading though doesn't go as far back. Thanks for watching!

[@JonoWarrior_K]

@@HistorywithCy Hello Cy! I love your channel and your content, keep it up! Yeah I have Weaver, Scribes and Kings on my shelf and I cannot wait to dig into it. I havn't read that book by Trevor Bryce but I will check it out. But I do know about his Hittite research which I've looked into for my Honours project.

[@HistorywithCy]

@@JonoWarrior_K Sounds good, let me know if you need more sources. Thanks again!

[@elguido]

What an amazing topic! I have always been fascinated by the trade networks of the bronze age. That the egyptians Pharaoh's had amber from the baltic boows my mind! It is amazing how similar our worlds are. Thank you for another great video!

[@HistorywithCy]

Thanks! I hope to do one on Egypt as well, especially dealing with parts of the Mediterranean and also to the south in Nubia and Punt. As always, thanks so much for watching and the continued to support of the channel!

[@randomnormie8690]

Ea-Nasir sends his regards

[@Channel7Tonight]

Graet video!

[@HistorywithCy]

Thank you!

[@SkyFly19853]

I love that video. Very useful for developing Civ like video game I am making...

[@IranTalk]

Excellent video Cy, please keep up the excellent content.

[@HistorywithCy]

For sure baradar, will do my best! Thanks for watching!

[@IranTalk]

@@HistorywithCy No worries, thanks for getting back!

[@joshuahosang6690]

Sweet

[@HistorywithCy]

Thanks!

[@bobbinweirdbarbashandUncleBubb]

I love you videos me and Uncle Bubba loves your videos

[@HistorywithCy]

Thank you and thank Bubba for me!

[@bobbinweirdbarbashandUncleBubb]

Ok

[@SusanCat5098]

So interesting. I wonder what the poorer Sumerians wore for decoration.

[@someinteresting]

Great video. You'd do another on the western trade?

[@HistorywithCy]

Thanks! Will look into it but I'm sure I'll do one at some time. Thanks for watching!

[@youtubeuser1993]

Extremely interesting!

[@beepboop204]

[@danhattaway3513]

😊❤️

[@HistorywithCy]

Thank you!

[@stormshadow5283]

You should've mentioned how Ea Nasir scammed his customers of good quality copper.

[@Argacyan]

Me when I see the thumbnail: iltam zumrā rašubti ilātim

[@IStevenSeagal]

When Naram-Sin ruled the empire at its peak he had Turkmenistan and Pakistan to the east. Egypt, Anatolia and Cyprus to the west. Caucasus to the north. Yemen to the south. This size of an empire wouldn't get out-sized until Darius the great of Persia.

[@carlosaugustodinizgarcia3526]

To think that they could conquer so much territory without horses is mindblowing.

[@IStevenSeagal]

@@carlosaugustodinizgarcia3526 Oh they defintely had horses and also camels and mules.

[@hmsdemolition8588]

Hi Cy long time no see your videos , nice to see history again. Cy is it true that the Phoenician were the 1st to land in now USA land.?

[@wes4736]

I'm legit curious where you've first heard that. Not to be rude, not at all, genuine curiosity.

[@IStevenSeagal]

No, the first were Asians from east Asia to north America and Africans from north/west Africa to south America.

[@HistorywithCy]

Thanks, glad you're enjoying these. About the Phoenicians coming to the Americas, that's one I haven't heard or seen evidence of... as far as I know there might be some evidence that they sailed as far as Briton. Anyway, thanks for watching!

[@YadinZedek777]

Where was Ur-Kasdim on the map North Harran?

[@studytime2570]

Indus formed the general western border of Indian Subcontinent since centuries.

[@henkstersmacro-world]

👍👍👍

[@HistorywithCy]

Thanks man!

[@LuisAldamiz]

Don't the cups by the end of the video look "Samarran" style?

[@HistorywithCy]

Yes true...they are actually from eastern Iran. Many of the styles are similar, though the motifs vary. Thanks for watching!

[@julianshepherd2038]

Harappan history would be easier if thhey had a a channel on KZbin

[@HVLLOWS1999]

Why is the Oxus Calley Civilization of Amu Darya not considered a Cradle of Civilization??

[@HistorywithCy]

Good question... while some do consider it to be so, those who don't, and this is just my opinion, think this way because it was discovered relatively recently and not deemed to be as old as those of Mesopotamia and Egypt. In addition relatively little is known about it due to no discernable records being available. That's just my quick take... thanks for watching!

[@papazataklaattiranimam]

6:39 there are too many Tepes🐸

[@AbdulHannanAbdulMatheen]

👏🙂

[@HistorywithCy]

Thank you!

[@AbdulHannanAbdulMatheen]

@@HistorywithCyit's my pleasure as always. Keep up the amazing work.

[@ajithsidhu7183]

How did the harapans and mesopotamians communicate

[@sweetbunnybun]

Obv by learning languages, as usual

[@HistorywithCy]

That's a great question... they had interpreters, and in the Harappan video from last month you can see a cylinder seal of one of them. Thanks for watching!

[@ajithsidhu7183]

@@HistorywithCy thanks would you mind doing the history of North India like rajasthan, punjab etc

[@HistorywithCy]

@@ajithsidhu7183 For sure! I was just in UP and Rajasthan in March and learned a lot more about the area. I will probably save it for sometime in 2024 though because I still have a lot to cover before that. Great suggestion though!

[@ajithsidhu7183]

@@HistorywithCy thanks

[@theuniverse5173]

Hi

[@HistorywithCy]

Hey, thanks for stopping by!

[@nilsu1730]

Türkçe altyazi olmadığına çok üzüldüm

[@aryancivilisation9947]

Indus valley empire probably extended up to shortugai and mittani.

[@improvingdoomer3110]

Proud to be indian❤ Indus valley😸✊

[@thli8472]

Commodities sounds like a roman name.

[@dhmossedios2194]

I hope you will continue the series on Peloponnesian War. Can't wait

[@HistorywithCy]

Oh I have something special for that... not what you'll expect and not until the Fall but trust me, it'll be worth it. Let's just say that I'll literally be going to the source of the conflict. Stay tuned and thanks for watching!

[@dhmossedios2194]

@@HistorywithCy ❤️

[@Delivery_Boy_Roy]

Always nice to get a package of what was back then :)

[@HistorywithCy]

Glad you enjoyed it... I'll do more vids like this in the near future. Thanks for watching!

[@Delivery_Boy_Roy]

@@HistorywithCy any time, I honestly just enjoy history in general so, you do you.

[@HistorywithCy]

@@Delivery_Boy_Roy Thanks my friend, appreciate it!