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8000 BCE
Bananas
Bananas are said to first be cultivated in New Guinea and other places in Southeast Asia which then traveled to India and then made its way to Africa around 1000 BCE -
5000 BCE
Ancient Fishing Boats
Ancient fishing boats have been said to be used since the beginning of trade. -
1000 BCE
Sugar Cane
Sugar cane originated in southeast Asia and by 1000 BCE made its way into India. It was a productive crop but as sugar was use as a luxury. -
700 BCE
Indigo Dye
Indigo dye was first documented in Babylon and later is Greece and Roman Emperors. It also documented to have been dyed with silks. -
600 BCE
Iron and Silk
Iron metallurgy was introduced to China and silk was introduced to the trade system. China exported the silk and this silk was highly prized in India, the Middle East, and the Roman Empire. -
Period: 510 BCE to 515 BCE
Scylax of Caryanda 5 Year Voyage
Scylax went voyaging for King Darius of Persia who heard of riches in India and wanted to make the discovery of the Indus River mouth. Scylax's voyage is well known, as he encountered many people and stopped along ports along the way, such as, Yemeni ports. His voyage brought news of regions and led to many trade expeditions. -
500 BCE
Greek and Roman Trade
Greek and Roman sailors were sent to India for trading purposes by the Persian ruler Darius I -
500 BCE
Hanna
Hanna sailed around the western coast of Africa. -
500 BCE
Cinnamon and cassia
The most likely place cinnamon originated from is Sri Lanka and cassia from China. It spread throughout southeast Asia eventually arriving in the Gulf of Aden around 500 BCE -
446 BCE
Fall of the Roman Empire
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400 BCE
Isthmus of Kra
The Isthmus of Kra is a narrow strip of land that connects the Malay Peninsula to the continent of Asia. As early as the fourth century BCE, traders from India reached the rest of Southeast Asia by crossing the Isthmus of Kra, rather than making the longer and more difficult journey around the entire Malay Peninsula. -
326 BCE
Alexander the Great contributes to trade route.
Alexander the Great sent Nearchus from the Indus to the Arabian Gulf -
326 BCE
Trade Routes
Greeks sailed to India and around the Arabian Peninsula to Oman. -
Period: 326 BCE to 325 BCE
Nearchus, Captain of Alexander the Greats Naval ship.
Nearchus was ordered to build a naval fleet to take part of the army back to Babylonia--over 15,000 men. He struggled many hardships on his journey. The journey began at the mouth of the Indus River, and followed the coastline to the Strait of Hormuz and up the Arabian (Persian) Gulf to the Tigris River. Nearchus and his crew made stops along the way where they encountered different environments and people which inhabited those parts of the world. -
Period: 300 BCE to 101 BCE
Trade begins for Indian and Arab cultures
They sailed directly from Southern Arabia to the Malabar coast of India and back. -
202 BCE
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was founded in China after Lui Bang declared himself emperor of China. The Han Dynasty lasted for 400 Years -
200 BCE
Arikamedu
Arikamedu was a trade center on the southeast coast of India. City said to have begun around the start of the 2nd century BCE. Roman ceramics were important and many other objects. -
Period: 200 BCE to 200
Rouletted Pottery
Rouletted Pottery was found in India, Southwest Asia, and Indonesia dating from 200 BCE to 200 CE. These imports have connections with the Mediterranean and are said to have carried oils, wines. and other liquids. -
100 BCE
Pepper
Pepper was a major part of the spice trade. Pepper is native in southwestern India. It was use for medicine and cooking. -
Period: 64 BCE to 23
Strabo
Strabo was born in 64 BCE and died in 23 CE. He was a Greek traveler and famous author. -
70
Periplus of the Erythraean Sea
Periplus of the Erythraean Sea was written form city of Alexandria by an Egyptian merchant.