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1000 BCE
Bananas
Bananas came from a tropical plant that was first grown in New Guinea around 8000 or 5000 BCE. Bananas were also in Southeast Asia, India, and came to Africa around 1000 BCE and were used as a crop and food. -
1000 BCE
Sugar Cane
Sugar cane was a luxury trade good and was popular for its medicinal uses and sweetening properties. -
Period: 1000 BCE to 300 BCE
Barygaza Port
The Barygaza Port was an important port near the mouth of the Narmada River. Merchants used this port as a place for their exports, such as gems, herbs, and textiles. Goods that were imported were silver coins, gems, glass, wine, and metal. -
Period: 1000 BCE to 300 BCE
Palmyra
Palmyra was a wealthy trading post that connected the Silk Road to the Incense Road. -
Period: 1000 BCE to 300 BCE
Navigation by Polaris
The Phonecians used Polaris as a way to navigate the sea. This advancement in technology, using stars as a navigational tool, allowed merchants to travel longer distances and trade with foreign cultures. -
Period: 1000 BCE to 300 BCE
The Kamal
The Kamal was a rectangle-shaped device that sailors could use in the Indian Ocean to find the latitude at sea by observing the distance between the horizon and a certain star at the same time every night. -
Period: 1000 BCE to 300 BCE
Frankincense and Myrrh
Frankincense and myrrh were important spices for religious rituals during the Classical Era. They were transported on camels through the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula on a route called the Incense Road. The spices were also shipped to the Roman Empire and Asia. -
Period: 1000 BCE to 300 BCE
Kaveripattanam
Kaveripattanam was a major port city around 100 CE. Some of the goods that were bought and sold there include gold, gems, jewelry, pearls, fine fabrics, and sandalwood. Kaveripattanam also had places for merchants and travelers to stay. -
Period: 1000 BCE to 300 BCE
Vyadhapura
Vyadhapura was the capital of Funan and was an important city because it was where merchants from western Asia, China, and India could meet to trade. -
Period: 1000 BCE to 300 BCE
Muziris
Muziris was an important port in India that was used for the Roman-Indian trade. -
Period: 1000 BCE to 300 BCE
Incense Road
The Incense Road was an important trade route during the Classical Era that went from the Mediterranean port of Gaza to Asia. Spices such as frankincense and myrrh were traded on this route. Merchants traveled this desert path by using camels. -
Period: 1000 BCE to 1 BCE
Phoenicians
The Phoenicians were the leading people of trade during the first millennium BCE. They founded cities such as Tyre, Sidon, Byblos, and Arwad. They were famous for creating the alphabet and for making glass vases. Their imports and exports included olives, olive oil, honey, spices, metals, wheat, cedarwood, and wine. The Phoenicians also had advanced ships that allowed them to travel further than other societies and establish trading colonies. -
700 BCE
Indigo Dye
Indigo dye was used around 700 BCE and was a valuable resource that was first cultivated in India and exported through long-distance trade. Indigo dye is the color of the blue jeans we wear today. -
Period: 610 BCE to 595 BCE
Pharaoh Necho II
Pharaoh Necho II was the ruler of Egypt from 610-595 BCE. He began building a canal that would link the Nile River and the Red Sea, but King Darius I was the one who completed the project. The canal was important for trade development because it made shipping across the water faster.
Pharaoh Necho II is important because he sent Phoenician sailors on a journey that gave them a better understanding of the geography of the African coast. -
600 BCE
Iron Metallurgy
Iron metallurgy was introduced to China. -
Period: 563 BCE to 483 BCE
Buddhism
The Buddhism religion begins. -
Period: 551 BCE to 479 BCE
Confucianism
Confucianism philosophy begins. -
Period: 510 BCE to 515 BCE
Skylax of Caryanda
Skylax of Caryanda was famous for writing a handbook for mariners that detailed his voyages into the Indian Ocean that took place from 510-515 BCE. This voyage was important because it encouraged others to take expeditions to expand their trading. He sailed from the Indus mouth, the Persian Gulf, Oman, Arabian Peninsula, Yemeni Ports, Suez, and Egypt. -
500 BCE
Cinnamon and Cassia
Cinnamon and cassia entered the trading system around 500 BCE when they arrived in the Gulf of Aden. -
500 BCE
Hanno
Hanno is famous for his voyage around the western coast of Africa in 500 BCE. During his voyage, he established many colonies along the Moroccan coast. He also made a trading post along the Mauritanian coast. -
Period: 500 BCE to 100 BCE
Camel Saddle
The camel saddle was an important advancement in technology that allowed camels to carry heavier loads. The saddle made life easier for the people during this period. -
431 BCE
Athenian Plague
The Peloponnesian War started in 431 BCE, and during the second year of the war, one-third of the population died from the Athenian plague. -
400 BCE
Isthmus of Kra
The Isthmus of Kra was a narrow piece of land that separated the China Sea from the Indian Ocean. It connected the Malay Peninsula to Asia, making an easier journey for traders from India. This route helped to avoid dangerous people. -
Period: 356 BCE to 323 BCE
Alexander the Great
Alexander the Great was a famous conqueror who founded the city of Alexandria in Egypt, which later became a central area for trade and art. Wherever his military went, they influenced the opposing land with Greek art and culture. The blending of cultures lasted centuries because of the influence that Alexander the Great had. -
332 BCE
Alexandria
Alexandria was the capital of Egypt and was an important spot for international trade. It is located near the Mediterranean Sea and the Nile River, making it a central location for several trade routes. -
Period: 323 BCE to 31 BCE
Hellenistic Period
The Hellenistic period, which was started during the reign of Alexander the Great, influenced the politics, art, science, literature, and societies of different cultures all over the world. -
300 BCE
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka was a main part of the Indian Ocean trade networks. Sri Lanka was an important port because it connected the eastern and western parts of the Indian Ocean, making it easily accessible to travelers for trading. As Buddhism spread into Sri Lanka, it also increased the amount of trading that took place. Sri Lanka was a popular place for trading because they had ivory, tortoiseshell, and cinnamon. -
Period: 271 BCE to 232 BCE
Ashoka
Ashoka was an Indian emperor who spread Buddhism. He sent people abroad to spread his religion, and while doing so, he gained trade relations. -
206 BCE
Cloves
Cloves were an important part of the spice trade that were imported by the Romans. Cloves were a luxury spice that was highly sought after and helped bring distant regions into the trade realm. -
206 BCE
Silk Road
The Silk Road was an important path for trade around 27 BCE when the Roman empire began to rise, and in 206 BCE when the Han Dynasty began to rise. The Silk Road connected the Mediterranean, Middle East, India, Central Asia, and China. -
200 BCE
Taklamakan Desert
The Taklamakan Desert became an important passageway around 200 BCE when the Silk Road was developed. Since the Taklamakan was along the Silk Road, merchants would often stop in the northern and southern parts of the desert for water and supplies. -
200 BCE
Arikamedu
Arikamedu was founded around 200 BCE and was located on the southeast coast of India. This city was important for the trade market with Rome. They were known for selling glass beads, stone, and pottery. They also imported ceramics that came from Rome. -
Period: 200 BCE to 500 BCE
Angkor Borei and Oc Eo
Angkor Borei and Oc Eo are sites in Funan, Southeast Asia, that map out the moats, canals, branches of the river, housing, and cemeteries of that time. These sites are important because they mark the goods they had, such as pottery, metal, shell tools, and beads. Funan was a place that took trade goods from the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea into inland trade routes. -
Period: 200 BCE to 500 BCE
Kushan Gold Coin
The Kushan Gold Coin symbolizes how trade lead to the blending of cultures and religions. -
Period: 200 BCE to 500 BCE
Camels and Date Production
Between 200 and 500 BCE, the one-humped camel and date palm spread from southern Arabia to North Africa. The popularity of these two items caused trade to spread across Africa and to nomads passing through. -
138 BCE
Zhang Qian
Zhang Qian was sent on a mission, known as the Silk Road, to protect his emperor. When his mission almost failed, he kept traveling and ended up discovering Greek and Indian culture. He influenced the people where he landed with his Chinese technology and culture. While he visited, he learned their culture, music, and dance and brought watermelon, walnuts, grapes, and pomegranates back with him to China. -
100 BCE
Silk
Silk was added to the trade system around 100 BCE and was first developed in China. It was considered highly important and used as a form of money. Silk became so popular that it eventually developed a route called the silk road. The silk road connected the Mediterranean, Middle East, India, Central Asia, and China. -
100 BCE
Isidore of Charax
Isidore of Charax was a Greek who was famous for documenting the geography of trade routes. Geography was an advancement in technology that lead to an increase in trade and helped the spread of culture. -
100 BCE
Peppercorn
Pepper became a popular spice in the first century and could be found in the center of the Indian Ocean. Since it was in a central location, it attracted merchants from foreign lands. Pepper was worth so much that it was considered of equal value to gold. -
64 BCE
Strabo the Geographer
Strabo is famous for the work Geography that gave the people a picture of the knowledge of the known world. -
Period: 4 to 30
Jesus Brings Christianity
Jesus was born between 4 CE and 30 CE and brought Christianity into the world.
