Ancient Trade Networks
Driving Question: Why did ancient trade routes expand?
Local networks may have been more common, but long-distance trade also linked societies across Afro-Eurasia and the Americas. Though risky and slow, these routes moved people, goods, ideas, and diseases—shaping communities and transforming economies along the way.
Learning Objectives:
- Analyze how regional networks of exchange emerged and expanded over time.
- Evaluate how the sharing of goods and ideas such as metals and iron-making skills transformed societies.
- Use claim-testing skills to make an argument about the expanding networks of this era.
Vocab Terms:
- cuneiform
- elite
- infrastructure
- matrilineal
- smelt
- social hierarchy
- society
Did you know: Ancient Mesopotamia gave us what may be the original one-star review: a clay complaint tablet “sent” to merchant Ea-nasir about bad copper and lousy service. This is an example of the importance of ancient writing that students will understand. A lot changed in 4,000 years, but not customer rage. If you want to read more about Ea-nasir and Nanni, check out this blog post.
No crystal ball required—just evidence and insight to make predictions about ancient trade networks.
Looking for ancient trade route maps? Check out our Roman Empire maps. Have students use the deep zoom feature (the + button in the top-left corner) to zoom in to Rome. What do they notice about the trade routes? Why might trade have been important to political control in empires?
If you’re looking to dig deeper before class, Jerry Bentley’s Old World Encounters is a foundational book for thinking about the role of trade and exchange in shaping the ancient world.
Trade routes connected the ancient world, spreading innovations, goods, and ideas. In the activity, create a map of those networks to understand how trade connected different regions, and then dive deeper with the article to learn more.
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Guiding Questions
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Before you read
Preview the questions below, and then skim the article. Be sure to look at the section headings and any images.
While you read
Look for answers to these questions:
- Why were the Afro-Eurasian trade networks more developed than in other parts of the world?
- What does the Standard of Ur tell us about regional trade networks during this time?
- Why was long-distance trade more difficult in Mesoamerica than in Afro-Eurasia?
- What do obsidian, jade, and pottery have to do with hierarchy in Olmec society?
- How did the rulers of cities and states help promote trade networks?
After you read
Respond to these questions:
- What were the benefits of expanding trade networks?
- What were the downsides of expanding trade networks?
Note: We hear a lot about the Stone, Bronze, and Iron Ages. But these periodizations only make sense for certain parts of Afro-Eurasia—like the Mediterranean and Mesopotamia. Other regions, like Mesoamerica, use different periodizations.
Explore different regions to compare how ancient trade networks affected each. Then, use what you’ve learned in the activity to draw conclusions about the impacts of these exchange routes.
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Guiding Questions
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Before you read
Preview the questions below, and then skim the article. Be sure to look at the section headings and any images.
While you read
Look for answers to these questions:
- Why do historians divide early human history using terms like Stone Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age?
- What made iron both difficult and easy to make?
- How did iron-smelting technologies develop and spread?
- What does iron have to do with population growth?
- What environmental impact did iron-smelting technologies have?
After you read
Respond to this question: Can you think of any other technologies besides iron that have completely reorganized communities, networks, or systems of production and distribution?
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Guiding Questions
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Before you read
Preview the questions below, and then skim the article. Be sure to look at the section headings and any images.
While you read
Look for answers to these questions:
- How do historians know about Phoenician society?
- What aspects of Phoenician sailing technology helped them become “masters of the sea”?
- What were women’s roles in Phoenician society?
- What’s the significance of Phoenician colonies?
- What made Phoenician script unique?
After you read
Respond to this question: How was Phoenician community organization different from other states during this period?
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Guiding Questions
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Before you read
Preview the questions below, and then skim the article. Be sure to look at the section headings and any images.
While you read
Look for answers to these questions:
- What technologies helped Hittites travel long distances?
- Why were the Hittites “pioneers of the Iron Age”?
- What was the Hittite political structure like?
- What evidence do historians have that the Hittites were linked to Mesopotamia?
- Why is the Battle of Kadesh an important “first” in human history?
After you read
Respond to this question: Do the similarities between the Hittites, Mesopotamians, and Hattians suggest they were connected through trade—or could there be another explanation?
After a lot of practice testing claims, it’s time to make your own. Apply what you’ve learned to make arguments about the expansion of networks during this era.
