who developed trade routes through the mediterranean

By as early as the third millennium BCE

, ancient sailors were using well-established sea routes to trade with cultures all around the Mediterranean Sea. The ancient Greeks, Egyptians, Syrians, and others participated in sophisticated trading networks, but perhaps no one dominated the Mediterranean Sea more than the Phoenicians.

Full Answer

Why was the Mediterranean trade so important?

Ancient Mediterranean Trade. Many of the ancient civilizations to first develop around the Mediterranean region relied heavily on rivers, and sailing became an immediately important technology. By as early as the third millennium BCE, ancient sailors were using well-established sea routes to trade with cultures all around the Mediterranean Sea.

How did Europe reconnect with Asia through trade routes?

Europe and Asia were reconnected through a series of trade routes known as the Silk Roads, which included several maritime routes that connected the Mediterranean and Red Seas to the Indian Ocean and then on to China.

How did the Mediterranean trade spread to India?

Ancient Mediterranean Trade. Although most Mediterranean Sea traders would never go beyond this area, the products they sold entered into markets that spread through Africa and into the Indian Ocean. In fact, during the first centuries CE, the Roman Empire was involved in trade routes that stretched to India and even, at times, China.

What were the major trade routes of Anatolia?

Visible trade routes. The peninsula of Anatolia lay on the commercial land routes to Europe from Asia as well as the sea route from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea. Records from the 19th century BCE attest to the existence of an Assyrian merchant colony at Kanesh in Cappadocia (now in modern Turkey ).

Which civilizations helped propel the Mediterranean Sea?

What was the first civilization to develop around the Mediterranean?

What is the Mediterranean Sea?

How did the Spanish find China?

What were the changes in the Mediterranean?

What was the Mediterranean Sea connected to?

What was the first ship to sail in the Atlantic Ocean?

See 4 more

About this website

Who used the Mediterranean for trade?

Although the Mediterranean trade routes connect many different places, it was often controlled by one central empire, mainly the Roman Empire.

What group of people developed trade routes through the Mediterranean?

Phoenicians. The Phoenicians are identified as a loosely connected network of traders throughout the Mediterranean. Phoenician civilization flourished between 1550 and 300 BCE.

Who started the trade routes?

Maritime trade Navigation was known in Sumer between the 4th and the 3rd millennium BCE. The Egyptians had trade routes through the Red Sea, importing spices from the "Land of Punt" (East Africa) and from Arabia.

When did trade in the Mediterranean start?

The Mediterranean Sea has been the conduit for the exchange of goods, people, and ideas since the 3rd millennium BCE.

How did the Mediterranean trade route develop?

Many of the ancient civilizations to first develop around the Mediterranean region relied heavily on rivers, and sailing became an immediately important technology. By as early as the third millennium BCE, ancient sailors were using well-established sea routes to trade with cultures all around the Mediterranean Sea.

Who dominated Mediterranean trade in the 16th century?

Which of the following are states that dominated the Mediterranean trade during the sixteenth century? a)Italian city-states and the Ottoman Empire. In the period 1550-1750, most of the world's ten largest cities were located in which of the following regions? and 1750?

Who were the first people to trade?

Mesopotamia tribes were likely the starting point of the bartering system back in 6000 BC. Phoenicians saw the process, and they adopted it in their society. These ancient people utilized the bartering system to get the food, weapons, and spices they needed.

Who was the first person to trade?

Long-distance trade routes first appeared in the 3rd millennium BC, by the Sumerians in Mesopotamia when they traded with the Harappan civilization of the Indus Valley. Trading is greatly important to the global economy.

When was the first trade route?

around 3000 BCThe first long-distance trade occurred between Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley in Pakistan around 3000 BC, historians believe. Long-distance trade in these early times was limited almost exclusively to luxury goods like spices, textiles and precious metals.

What is the Mediterranean known for?

As for the Mediterranean Sea, its clear blue waters are famous throughout the world. It harbours a tremendous diversity of marine organisms, many of which are endemic to the region. It is estimated that the Mediterranean contains 8–9 % of all the world's marine creatures.

Who controlled the Mediterranean Sea?

the RomansLater, when Augustus founded the Roman Empire, the Romans referred to the Mediterranean as Mare Nostrum ("Our Sea"). For the next 400 years, the Roman Empire completely controlled the Mediterranean Sea and virtually all its coastal regions from Gibraltar to the Levant.

Who did ancient Greeks trade with?

In the Greek world, trade began about 4,600 years ago. Greek pottery and precious goods have been found far from where they were made. These findings show that trade happened between Egypt, Asia Minor and Greek city-states.

What cities controlled the trade routes through the Mediterranean Sea?

The Egyptian cities of Cairo and Alexandria, now under Muslim rule, became powerful commercial centers of the Mediterranean network. Muslim and Jews established trading firms in Cairo which benefited from the lucrative trade in silk yarn and cotton textiles.

Who controls Mediterranean Sea?

Bordering Countries Twenty-one modern states have a coastline on the Mediterranean Sea. They are: Europe (from west to east): Spain, France, Monaco, Italy, the island state of Malta, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, Greece.

What city played an important role in Mediterranean Sea trade?

The second largest Egyptian city, after Cairo, and one of the largest ports on the Mediterranean coast, Alexandria was a major centre of civilization in the ancient world, controlling commerce between Egypt and the eastern Mediterranean, and has continued throughout its long history to act as a vital crossing point for ...

What sea trade route went from the Mediterranean basin around Africa and into the Indian Ocean?

The Suez Canal is a man-made waterway connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Indian Ocean via the Red Sea. It enables a more direct route for shipping between Europe and Asia, effectively allowing for passage from the North Atlantic to the Indian Ocean without having to circumnavigate the African continent.

New Mediterranean trade routes will be through the South and ... - Coface

In the Mediterranean, the recent rise in protectionism is starting to transform the vast network of free trade agreements and reshape intra-Mediterranean trade routes. Two new trends are emerging

Mediterranean Sea Trade Complex Vs Silk Road Essay | ipl.org

Why Charleston was Hard to Settle The Charleston we know today was not always as beautiful and straight-sailing as it is today. The settlers wanted to settle in Charles Town but, there were many disadvantages to living there but settled there anyway so, they settled in Charles Town then, the settlers started discovering all of the horrible things that came with settling in Charles Town.

Ancient Mediterranean Trade

many of the ancient civilizations to first develop around the Mediterranean region relied heavily on rivers, and sailing became an immediately important engineering. By arsenic early as the third millennium BCE, ancient sailors were using well-established ocean routes to trade with cultures all around the Mediterranean Sea.

Trade in the 13th Century Forward

After the fall of the Roman Empire, these expansive international trade networks went into decline, although the Mediterranean Sea was hush full of traders hopping across the region. then, in the thirteenth century CE, something changed.

Lesson Summary

Some of the world ‘s oldest settled civilizations developed roughly around the Mediterranean region. These societies mastered basic sailing techniques by the 3rd millennium BCE, and the Mediterranean Sea became the stress of international craft routes that exist to this day. In particular, the Phoenicians helped propel this along.

What was the trade route in the Middle Ages?

Among notable trade routes was the Amber Road, which served as a dependable network for long-distance trade. Maritime trade along the Spice Route became prominent during the Middle Ages, when nations resorted to military means for control of this influential route.

When were long distance trade routes developed?

Long-distance trade routes were developed in the Chalcolithic Period . The period from the middle of the 2nd millennium BCE to the beginning of the Common Era saw societies in Southeast Asia, Western Asia, the Mediterranean, China, and the Indian subcontinent develop major transportation networks for trade.

What were the instruments of long distance trade?

One of the vital instruments which facilitated long-distance trade was portage and the domestication of beasts of burden. Organized caravans, visible by the 2nd millennium BCE, could carry goods across a large distance as fodder was mostly available along the way.

What was the main goal of the Hanseatic League in the Middle Ages?

During the Middle Ages, organizations such as the Hanseatic League, aimed at protecting interests of the merchants and trade became increasingly prominent. In modern times, commercial activity shifted from the major trade routes of the Old World to newer routes between modern nation-states.

Why are port cities important for trade?

The strategic advantages of port cities as trading centers are many: they are both less dependent on vital connections and less vulnerable to blockages. Oceanic ports can help forge trading relationships with other parts of the world easily.

How did the Andean and Mesoamerican cultures relate?

Some similarities between the Mesoamerican and the Andean cultures suggest that the two regions became a part of a wider world system, as a result of trade, by the 1st millennium BCE. The current academic view is that the flow of goods across the Andean slopes was controlled by institutions distributing locations to local groups, who were then free to access them for trading. This trade across the Andean slopes – described sometimes as "vertical trade" – may have overshadowed the long-distance trade between the people of the Andes and the neighboring forests. The Callawaya herbalists traded in tropical plants between 6th and the 10th centuries, while copper was dealt by specialized merchants in the Peruvian valley of Chincha. Long-distance trade may have seen local elites resorting to struggle in order for manipulation and control.

What is trade route?

A trade route is a logistical network identified as a series of pathways and stoppages used for the commercial transport of cargo. The term can also be used to refer to trade over bodies of water. Allowing goods to reach distant markets, a single trade route contains long-distance arteries, which may further be connected to smaller networks of commercial and noncommercial transportation routes. Among notable trade routes was the Amber Road, which served as a dependable network for long-distance trade. Maritime trade along the Spice Route became prominent during the Middle Ages, when nations resorted to military means for control of this influential route. During the Middle Ages, organizations such as the Hanseatic League, aimed at protecting interests of the merchants and trade became increasingly prominent.

Which empires controlled the eastern Mediterranean?

In the 2nd millennium, the eastern coastlines of the Mediterranean are dominated by the Hittite and Egyptian empires, competing for control over the city states in the Levant ( Canaan ).

What are the two major Mediterranean civilizations?

Two of the most notable Mediterranean civilizations in classical antiquity were the Greek city states and the Phoenicians. The Greeks expanded throughout the Black Sea and south through the Red Sea. The Phoenicians spread through the western Mediterranean reaching North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula. From the 6th century BC up to including the 5th century BC, many of the significant Mediterranean peoples were under Persian rule, making them dominate the Mediterranean during these years. Both the Phoenicians and some of the Greek city states in Asia Minor provided the naval forces of the Achaemenid Persian Empire. Persian dominance ended after the Greco-Persian War in the 5th century BC and Persia was crippled by Macedonia in the 4th century BC. The Odrysian Kingdom existed between the 5th century BC and the 1st century AD as the most important and powerful thracian state formation.

Why was slavery important in the Middle Ages?

The threat of becoming a slave was a constant fear for peasants, fishermen and merchants. Those with money or who had financial backing only feared the lack of support, should they be threatened with abduction for ransom.

How did the Crusades affect trade?

The Crusades led to flourishing of trade between Europe and the outremer region. Genoa, Venice and Pisa created colonies in regions controlled by the Crusaders and came to control the trade with the Orient. These colonies also allowed them to trade with the Eastern world. Though the fall of the Crusader states and attempts at banning of trade relations with Muslim states by the Popes temporarily disrupted the trade with the Orient, it however continued.

Why did the Crusades happen?

Motivated by religion and dreams of conquest, the kings of Europe launched a number of Crusades to try to roll back Muslim power and retake the holy land. The Crusades were unsuccessful in this goal, but they were far more effective in weakening the already tottering Byzantine Empire that began to lose increasing amounts of territory to the Seljuk Turks and later to the Ottoman Turks. They also rearranged the balance of power in the Muslim world as Egypt once again emerged as a major power in the eastern Mediterranean.

How did the Arab invasions affect trade?

The Arab invasions disrupted the trade relations between Western and Eastern Europe while cutting the trade route with Oriental lands. This however had the indirect effect of promoting the trade across the Caspian Sea. The export of grains from Egypt was re-routed towards the Eastern world. Oriental goods like silk and spices were carried from Egypt to ports like Venice and Constantinople by sailors and Jewish merchants. The Viking raids further disrupted the trade in western Europe and brought it to a halt. However, the Norsemen developed the trade from Norway to the White Sea, while also trading in luxury goods from Spain and the Mediterranean. The Byzantines in the mid-8th century retook control of the area around the north-eastern part of the Mediterranean. Venetian ships from the 9th century armed themselves to counter the harassment by Arabs while concentrating trade of oriental goods at Venice.

Why is the Mediterranean region important?

The history of the Mediterranean region and of the cultures and people of the Mediterranean Basin is important for understanding the origin and development of the Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Canaanite, Phoenician, Hebrew, Carthaginian, Greek, Persian, Illyrian, Thracian, Etruscan, Iberian, Roman, Byzantine, Bulgarian, Arab, Berber, Ottoman, Christian and Islamic cultures. The Mediterranean Sea was the central superhighway of transport, trade and cultural exchange between diverse peoples encompassing three continents: Western Asia, North Africa, and Southern Europe .

Which civilizations helped propel the Mediterranean Sea?

In particular, the Phoenicians helped propel this along.

What was the first civilization to develop around the Mediterranean?

Many of the ancient civilizations to first develop around the Mediterranean region relied heavily on rivers, and sailing became an immediately important technology. By as early as the third millennium BCE, ancient sailors were using well-established sea routes to trade with cultures all around the Mediterranean Sea. The ancient Greeks, Egyptians, Syrians, and others participated in sophisticated trading networks, but perhaps no one dominated the Mediterranean Sea more than the Phoenicians. The Phoenicians were a trading-based culture and were such prolific traders that their alphabet became the de facto language of international trade. You may recognize it; the alphabet we use to this day is based on Phoenician characters.

What is the Mediterranean Sea?

The Mediterranean is a beautiful place. With temperate climates, sparkling blue waters, and abundant natural resources, it's really no surprise that some of the earliest civilizations in Africa and Eurasia developed around the Mediterranean Sea. It's also unsurprising that these various civilizations decided to stay in touch. The Mediterranean Sea features consistent winds and currents, and ancient sailors were quickly able to move from sailing small riverboats along the coasts to sailing through wider areas of open sea. Throughout history, the Mediterranean Sea was the center of expansive networks of communication and trade, and ancient people first used it to connect the region and later used it to connect the world.

How did the Spanish find China?

As they made it south towards the tip of Africa, the Spanish used Italian merchant sailors to try and find China by going a different direction: west. Christopher Columbus, from the Italian trading city of Genoa, was trained in Mediterranean sailing and exposed to the navigational and map-making techniques of Mediterranean maritime trade. In fact, it was these maps that convinced him that China could be reached by sailing west. He never found China but did manage to locate something else. I'm willing to bet you've heard of it.

What were the changes in the Mediterranean?

This era of trade brought several changes to the Mediterranean region. For one, cities around the sea all flourished, and that wealth poured through society creating a renaissance. Literally. The Italian Renaissance, the growth of education, art, and philosophy that redefined European culture, was a direct product of the wealth flowing around the Mediterranean. However, while people were trading products, they were also trading ideas. Islamic astronomy and mathematics entered Europe largely through these trade routes, leading to the invention of better ships that could sail further and further away from coasts and improved navigational techniques involving mapping the stars.

What was the Mediterranean Sea connected to?

For centuries, the Mediterranean Sea connected people of the region, especially with the rise of the Roman Empire in the first century BCE. Although most Mediterranean Sea traders would never go beyond this area, the products they sold entered into markets that spread through Africa and into the Indian Ocean.

What was the first ship to sail in the Atlantic Ocean?

Using the sailing, shipbuilding - particularly the caravel, the first ship that could sail in completely open waters - map-making, and navigational techniques learned from the exchange of ideas between Mediterranean, Christian, and Islamic kingdoms, sailors began expanding into the Atlantic Ocean. The rest, as they say, is history.