Question

In three to four sentences, describe the effects trade had on Ancient Egypt and multiculturalism.

Answer 1

The Egyptians were masters of trade in the ancient world. Encouraged by Hatshepsut’s (1) expedition to Punt and Thutmose III’s (2) trades for rich loot in Southwest Asia and the Mediterranean Region, Egypt was a center of trade. Egyptians and their trading partners sailed along the Nile River to trade their goods, but sometimes also traveled to and from the Eastern or Western Deserts. Egyptians bartered with their precious resources, including gold, papyrus, linen, and grain. Sometimes, they even traded decorative artifacts (3), and some people stole them out of the Pharaohs’ tombs! For these goods, they received items not commonly found in Egypt in return. These included cedar wood from Lebanon; ebony and ivory from Africa; incense, myrrh and oils from Punt; lapis lazuli from Afghanistan; gold from Nubia, and even the important metals copper and iron from their best allies. Occasionally, they bought mud pottery or horses from other civilizations (4). They were only allowed to trade in marketplaces. Trade was also used in promoting friendship between civilizations. Gifts were given to show that one country wanted peace and/or alliance with another. Strangely (to us), princesses were commonly given from one country (or ruler) to another! This may explain why Ramses II has over 100 wives! Sometimes, Egypt determined how much of an item was being offered for trade by comparison to pieces of metal of known weight (using a balance or scale). In 400 B.C.E., gold, silver, and bronze coins became the currency of Egypt, but even then, bartering was still popular .

Answer 2

Trade began between Upper and Lower Egypt, and between the different districts of those regions, prior to unification c.

Early Egyptian art, to cite just one example, is evidence of this influence.

The Egyptians had already graduated from building papyrus reed boats to ships of wood and these were sent regularly to Lebanon for cedar.

While many of these trade agreements were achieved through peaceful negotiation, some were established by military campaign