Indian Ocean Timeline of Trade During the Classical Period

By jpoulin001
  • 1000 BCE

    Taklamakan Desert

    Large desert located in northwest China. Merchant on the Silk Road were forced to travel around the desert instead of through it.
  • 1000 BCE

    Bananas

    Bananas reach Africa
  • 1000 BCE

    Sugar Cane

    Sugar cane reaches India
  • Period: 1000 BCE to 1 BCE

    Phoenicians

    A group of people that lived in the coastal area of South Syria and Lebanon. They traveled vast distances to trade goods such as cloth, glass items, wine, olives, olive oil, wheat, spices, metals, honey, and wood. They also made advancements such as ship building, navigation (using the North Star), and the alphabet.
  • 825 BCE

    Obelisk of Shalamaneser III

    Monument raised by Assyrian King Shalamaneser III. Contains carvings that include exotic plants and animals (example; monkeys, elephants, camels) and gives proof the society had reached Southwest Asia.
  • 610 BCE

    Canal Connecting the Nile to the Rea Sea

    Pharaoh Necho of Egypt began the construction of a canal to connects the two bodies of water to improve trade. The project was abandoned for fear of invasion, ruining Egypt's fresh water supply, and worry of the canal being choked by sand after construction.
  • 515 BCE

    Voyage of Scylax

    An explorer hired by King Darius of Persia to discover the mouth of the Indus River. Later wrote a handbook for sailors.
  • 500 BCE

    Hanno

    An admiral from Carthage who sailed around the western coast of Africa. He gives the first know descriptions of that area. Hanno established colonies along the Moroccan coast and a trading post off the coast of Mauritania.
  • Period: 500 BCE to 100 BCE

    Camel Saddle

    The camel saddle, developed in north Arabia, aided nomads and herders. Trade between north Africa and the African Savanah was established because people could now comfortably ride camels for long distances.
  • 440 BCE

    Cinnamon

    Important good traded throughout the Classical world. Exact origins of growth are unknown.
  • 332 BCE

    Alexandria

    Founded by Alexander the Great, Alexandria was a hub for international trade because of it's location; along the Mediterranean Sea and Nile River.
  • Period: 323 BCE to 31 BCE

    Hellenistic Period

    Refers to the time after the rule of Alexander the Great. Greece had grown in size causing art and culture to be integrated into Europe and Asia with influenced interactions and cultural exchanges between lands.
  • 300 BCE

    Ubar

    "Lost" trade city described in the Qur'an. Possible collapse of the caravan city due to limestone deterioration.
  • 300 BCE

    Buddhism

    Buddhism arrived in Sri Lanka.
  • 275 BCE

    Berenike

    Egyptian port-city on Red Sea was founded. Used to import elephants from Africa. Also known to trade goods with India.
  • 271 BCE

    Ashuka

    Indian emperor who encouraged the spread of Buddhism.
  • 200 BCE

    Silk

    Luxury item exchanged on the Silk Road. It was used as a traded good and also money.
  • Period: 200 BCE to 300 BCE

    Palmyra

    A trading post that connected the Roman Empire (Mediterranean) to the Parthian Empire (Iran). This city connected two important trade routes; Silk Road and Incense Road.
  • 138 BCE

    Zhang Qian

    Early explorer of the Sild Road trade routes. He mapped out the routes.
  • Period: 64 BCE to 23

    Strabo

    Life span of Greek traveler, author, and geographer. Scholars later took Strabo's descriptions and created maps to aid in trade.
  • 1 BCE

    Isodorus of Carax

    Wrote books on the geography of the trade routes to aid trade between the 5 neighboring empires; Roman Empire, Kushan Empire, Parthian Empire, Nomadic Confederation of the Xiongnu , and the Han Empire.
  • 1 CE

    Goods Traded

    Pepper, Indigo die, and gemstones were all popular products of India that were traded.
  • 50

    Millet

    Grain used to make flour, porridge, and bread the was brought to the shores of the Indian Ocean and Rea Sea.
  • 70

    Periplus

    Book written by an Egyptian merchant that documented trade including ports, people, boasts, and items traded.
  • 77

    Natural History

    Encyclopedia written by Pliny the Elder, a Roman author. The documents prove trade between the Roman Empire and the Arabian Peninsula.
  • Period: 100 to 200

    Pearls

    Popular luxury item used for jewelry, decoration, and medicine. The "best" pearls came from the Arabian Gulf and were brought to the Roman Empire.