Mediterranean Trade: Evolution from Necessity to Commerce

In the book “The Great Sea”, author David Abulafia goes thru the history of the Mediterranean. Trade starts in one place and will link to other civilizations in the Mediterranean. When the Capsian culture began to travel by sea, it did not start out with the concept of trade, but as a necessity to collect raw materials required for tools. At that time, no one claimed ownership of the materials, so trade was not an issue. It was not until the Neolithic period when evidence of trade could be seen where Neolithic cultures eventually had obsidian brought in from Anatolian area. This happened around the 8th millennium and was the start of actual trade in the Mediterranean. During the Copper and Bronze ages, most trading was done for

During the tenth century BCE, Phoenician cities became great centers of trade and a major commercial presence. Greeks in Sicily and southern Italy were enthusiastic users of coins, so the Carthaginians began to mint coins to better facilitate trade with them. Metals were still the major trade of Phoenicians in the Mediterranean, perhaps since the first known base of the Phoenicians was close to copper rich Cyprus, near Larnaka in the ninth century. This was an important period for the Italian lands which early Greek traders and settlers traveled through and also for their home nations that grew as centers of trade. As Euboian cities subsided to more minor roles, Corinth dominated trade traffic, sending large numbers of their fine vases westward and bringing back food and raw materials. The Phoenicians overseas became busier traders than the Phoenicians of the Levant. As well, the far west Euboians extended their trading by linking Syria, Rhodes, Ionia and Corinth to Pithekoussai. Pithekoussai citizens were traders, craftsmen and craftswomen. Because of trade, the character of the eastern Mediterranean was changed as Egyptians began their expeditions along the Red Sea trading in ivory and ebony. More trade networks were created by the eighth century bringing Eastern culture to Etruria and southern Spain. Communities of merchants extended trade between Greece and Italy. Fifth