Trade and Transport in Mesopotamia

Mesopotamia was a fertile region but lacked many natural resources.  They traded with neighboring regions to acquire the goods and resources they needed.  For instance, grains, oils and textiles produced in Babylonia were transported to other areas to trade for timber, wine, metals, and stones.  Also, Babylonia became a center for trade.  People from other countries would travel to Babylonia to trade goods.

 

Several modes of transportation were used in the trading process.  Some goods, like grain, could be very weighty and take up a lot of space.  It would likely be easier to transport goods like grain by boat.  Smaller stones/metals and textiles could easily be transported on land by foot or by donkey.

Let’s look at some of the modes of transportation.

Some trade happened locally with cities or villages nearby.  Generally the loads for local trade were smaller and could easily be carried on a merchant’s back, in sacks, or sling bags.  Goods that could easily be transported by foot were grains, meat, and fish.

 

 

Some goods were too bulky to be carried in bags or on the merchant’s backs.  For heavier loads or longer trips, merchants would use donkeys to assist in transport.  Typical loads carried by donkeys for trade would include textiles (cloth), some precious metals like gold and silver, wine, and larger loads of grain.

 

 

 

For destinations further away, boats were used to transport goods.  The boats could travel longer distances and carry much heavier loads of grains, precious stones, wood, and textiles produced in Mesopotamia.

 

Pretend you are a merchant in Mesopotamia.  What goods would you be transporting?  How would you travel?  Write a short story or tell someone a story about your travels and trades!

 

 

 

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