TRADE and EXCHANGE
The presentation is organized by Focus Objects which were chosen to allow us to address certain topics. While much of what was traded in the ancient and medieval worlds has long since vanished, objects made from durable materials or stone and metal have been preserved. One of the most important manufactured commodity that was at the basis of trade and exchange from as early as 4000 BCE was textiles. Urban centers of Mesopotamia and later Medieval and Islamic Iran produced both utilitarian and luxury textiles to exchange for the raw materials not locally available. From the Focus objects you can explore their materials, the motivations for trade, the ways that people traded, who were the traders, etcs. We invite you to explore this fascinating topic and welcome your feedback as we continue to develop this site for eventual use in the Middle East Gallery.