Trade in ancient Egypt | what are the internal and external trade routes, transportation methods, and what did the ancient Egyptians use in their commercial dealings in importing and exporting gold, wood, incense, grains, and more about Ancient Egypt History.
The history of Trade in Ancient Egypt, economic life, and economy in the Pharaonic era.
The facts of taxes and the routes of trade and land and sea transport and what means of transport used by the Pharaonic Civilization and more secrets of the Pharaonic civilization.
Trade in Ancient Egypt
Trade in Ancient Egypt – Internal Trade:
The place of the trader, socially, was not great, especially at the time of the Old Kingdom Starting with a ruling Third Dynasty of Egypt and Middle Kingdom period Starting with a ruling Egyptian Pharaohs kings Eleventh Dynasty of Egypt; his role was specific, and peasants, industrialists and craftsmen often acted as traders, because the public markets that appeared in towns and villages were individuals and groups of people who exchanged goods and products they produced, and there was no money.
Trade in Ancient Egypt. The general rule was that agricultural crops should be the basis on which farmers traded with groups of manufacturers and craftsmen what they could produce from certain materials, wood, leather, or pottery.
The Nile River and its quarries were the route of internal trade and use in ceremonies Coronation of the Pharaohs and Festivals in Ancient Egypt.
River navigation was the main means of transporting goods “Agriculture in Ancient Egypt” in internal trade in the civilization of ancient Egypt, transporting food, stones to build Egyptian Tombs, Egyptian Temples and commercial goods on Papyrus boats, across the Nile, which reached the country from north to south.
Donkeys and bulls dragging carts have also contributed to the transport of goods between cities.
Numerous depictions and inscriptions showing the internal trade processes of sale and purchase by barter have appeared in the ancient Egyptian Monuments and Egypt Archaeological Sites as Cemetery of Priest Emery “Tomb of Meryteti, Tomb of Neferherenptah – The Bird Tomb”at Giza, And the drawings of the tomb of Neankhkhnum and the inscriptions on the walls of the tomb of Khnumhotep, the tomb of Ptahshepses at Cemetery of Abu Sir “Abusir Necropolis” and Tomb of Kagemni in Saqqara and Dahshur.
From the time of the Middle Kingdom, it appeared in the Tomb of Kheruef “Senaa, Sesh” – TT192 in Tombs of Al-Assassif. From the time of The New Kingdom Beginning with the rule of kings Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt “Tombs of The Nobles in Luxor “Thebes” The Pharaonic Tombs from Thebes“, it appeared in the Tomb of Ipuky and Nebamon – TT181 in the Tombs of Draa Abu Al-Naja, Tombs of El Khokha, the tomb of Si-User in the cemetery of Draa Abu Al-Naja and the tomb of Ipuy in The Tombs of Deir Al-Madina, among others. And since the late days of the tomb of Mentuemhat in Al-Assassif.
Those who offered the goods were workers, craftsmen, street vendors, beverage vendors, barbers, or therapists, while those who ordered the goods were peasants, women and merchants. Market commercial activity was concentrated in markets, ports, houses, and forts; goods were promoted by calling, shouting, offering and attraction.
Goods were traded for grain, food and liquids, and there were effective penalties for those who cheated in weight, and the payment or barter system was either directly or paid in advance (deposit) or term payment.
Taxes in Ancient Egypt – Pharaonic era:
In ancient Egypt, taxes were collected by examining a survey of people’s agricultural property as Mortuary Temples, and imports of people or institutions such as temples and land rental were not considered taxes, and there were no taxes on those who worked the land in legal capacity but were levied on landowners.
According to The Palermo Stone, taxes began at the beginning of the First Dynasty of Egypt and there were two terms: census or (Tuta Tnwrta) and the other was tax collector (Shemessu Her).
The first taxes were on Gold in Ancient Egypt mines and farms, then included, in the time of King Khafre “Fourth Dynasty of Egypt“, cattle named Ipet.
Trade in Ancient Egypt. The tax on various jobs and professions was called the Set tax and some clerks and judges compensated it with customs duties in Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt, so their integrity would not be affected.
The military “The army in ancient Egypt” were not exempt from tax, and the military was exempt from compulsory services. During the reign of King Ramses II, the ownership of temples was exempt from tax, as were its employees.
Compulsory services were performed by all at the Royal Palace and temples, and senior officials may have been exempted or paid a sum or a financial fee.
There were sometimes tax complainants who recognized the court (Kempet) or sent it directly to the minister, and there was no indication that sanctions would be offered to tax evaders. Those who did not pay the tax were beaten with a stick And apply standards Law in Ancient Egypt.
Taxes were not a major resource for the Treasury of the Royal Palace or the Government but were very low compared to revenues of state property. There were taxes levied by people and placed in government tax funds with their collection documents.
Transportation routes in ancient Egypt
Road:
Egypt’s land cordon varied according to the environment it defined; the journey through the desert was made by well-known desert roads, coastal roads and deltas that were also known as Cleopatra Emerald Mine marsa alam. The words on the roads were (Ebbt, Watt, Watton, Dat, Board, Hammett) Which was used in Sculpture in Ancient Egypt, and the desert was called red land.
Trade in Ancient Egypt. The eastern desert routes of the Nile have been characterized by the emergence of mountains, plateaus, and valleys, and are rich in various quarries (limestone, sandstone, quartzite, alabaster and minerals such as gold, silver, lead and precious stones) and the most important area of the eastern desert is Wadi Hammamat, which provides contact with the Red Sea from where ships heading to the land of Punt depart.
Western Sahara is flat and free of mountains and quarries, except for the Toshki quarry in the south, and there are The Oasis Baharaya inhabited by Sinai Bedouins.
Black land is the fertile land that accompanies the banks of the Nile and Delta and is named after it for its saturation of minerals that it has gained in a dark color called Kemet, where the name Egypt comes from. This land was the mainland of transport for the peasants and merchants.
There were no impassable and regularly paved roads on these roads.
“When the Nile floods the country, only the cities emerge the water, and they are like small islands in the Aegean Sea, and the rest of Egypt becomes a sea,” Herodotus said. When this happens, the boats do not sail in the natural course of the river, but sail along and off the plain, traveling with a click to a nose that passes exactly near the pyramids.
Waterways:
The Nile was more important than all roads in terms of mobility.
Boats of all sizes were the way for people to cross the Nile between important cities and nearby areas, whether for public or commercial purposes.
The two seas, Mediterranean and Red, were mainly intended for external commercial fleets.
The Nile was a mean of transporting stones, goods, statues, and obelisks, which connected Egypt to Sudan. The Red Sea was a way to communicate with the land of Punt and reach the gold and turquoise mines at Sarabit al-Khadem and the Wadi Cave in the Sinai Peninsula.
Transport In Ancient Egypt Pharaohs:
Boats and ships:
Small light boats circulated in the old days and can not carry more than two people and were made by attaching bundles of papyrus with ropes.
Egyptian farmers carried their bulls, personal belongings, and crops on slightly larger boats, which were carried by paddles and used for bird hunting and fishing.
“Larger boats were used further away when the wave was severe. It is closer to the ship that began to emerge at a critical time just in Predynastic Period times and Naqada III.
These ships evolved in their shapes, materials of manufacture and sizes throughout ancient Egypt, and were used for various means of transport whether on the Nile or in both Mediterranean and Red Seas, and their names multiplied, some of which were used for more than one purpose at the same time.
For river transport, there were 15 different types of ships, some of which were limited to light loads such as cereals and plants, some of which were reserved for large weights such as stones, cattle and cabinetmakers. For navigation and river cruises, there were 8 types per objective.
Animals: Trade in Ancient Egypt
The importance of animals and their function in road transport differed, as the donkey was the first widespread means throughout Egypt, followed by horses, especially in the New Kingdom era, and was dedicated to the elite and ruling class in particular. Dromedaries were very rarely used and were not denied until the end of the periods by the Assyrians when they occupied Egypt and were limited to the desert. Cows were used for farmers and in construction work, soldiers and to drag carts of the dead to their tombs.
Man:
There were porters and servants for transportation, and there were governors, kings of transportation, and holders of their goods and used also for transfer Mummy, The Coffins in Ancient Egypt and Funerary Equipment.
Sleds:
These are wheelless machines, dragged by animals and used to carry huge weights on accessible and well-known roads, and their name was (made) and carried statues and boxes.
Vehicles:
We talked about royal vehicles, which were pulled by donkeys and horses and called “carts” and used for military transport, especially two-wheeled vehicles.
Trade in Ancient Egypt. Discover how they were between neighbors and the country around the world, the facts and history of foreign trade between the Pharaohs and Nubia, Libya and Asia and to learn more about the secrets of the Pharaonic civilization.
Egypt learned the formulation of foreign relations after its development and an empire that extended to the territories of the Hittites and Mitania in the era of the New Kingdom Ancient Egyptians.
Foreign relations in ancient Egypt
Relations with Mitani and the Hittites:
Agreement on Foreign Relations of Ancient Egypt with Artatama I, King of Mitania:
The Egyptian King Thutmose III had to follow the policy of threatening an invasion or an actual invasion, seeing him arrive in his eighth campaign in the upper Euphrates, and he recorded his victories over the Kingdom of Mitanni in the painting of Mount Al-Barqlel that he erected and dedicated it to Amun, near the fourth waterfall, which dates back to the 33rd year of his reign.
The victory of Thutmosis III resonated not only in the territories, but also in the Assyrian, Babylonian and Khiti neighbors, and they followed the policy of peace treaties with it carried out by their diplomatic envoys, who carried their products to appease the Egyptian force.
Political marriage between King Thutmose IV and the daughter of Artatama in 1430 BC.
Strong foreign relations with Amenophis III: Trade in Ancient Egypt
During the reign of King Amenhotep III, Egypt experienced a state of military détente even though it was encountered by Asians and was blessed with wealth and well-being. This was the flourishing model of Egyptian politics, which focused on political marriages between Amenophis III and the princesses of Babylon and Metani, while the HittitesEmpire was at the height of its military might.
The archives of the correspondences of Tell el-Amarna reflect international relations during the reign of Amenophis III, and the letter sent by the country king Tushratta to Amenophis III refers to the king’s victory on the ground and sends him booty, namely a cart, a horse, a captive and a captive, which illustrates the king’s desire to approach a powerful ally like Egypt. The Babylonian king Kadashman-Enlil I did not hesitate to write to Amenophis III, seeking his loyalty and seeking alliance in the light of international changes.
Egypt’s ancient foreign relations treaty with Koro shama:
Trade in Ancient Egypt. The date of this treaty is not specified and was concluded when the king of Khati – perhaps Tukhalyash III or Khatoshili II – wished to deport the citizens of the Khiti city of Koroshtama to Egyptian territory to become nationals of the Egyptian king.
The Treaty of Horemheb with the king of Khati Mursilis III.
The Treaty of Khatusilas with Hesser in 1280 BC. J.C. is the oldest integrated treaty in the history of international relations.
It is clear from the study and analysis of the Egyptian and The ancient Egyptian Pharaonic language texts of the treaty that its drafting and the legality it contained were the result of knowledge of the methods used in closer international relations, as well as the accuracy of the work of the linguists who drafted the texts, which reflect a method distinct from treaties and charters at this early stage.
It should also be noted that both sides also hoped for a lasting peace.
This treaty can therefore be considered an important international legal document and an honest model of bilateral relations in the old society.
Egypt’s former foreign relations with Libya and its peoples:
The relationship with the basic peoples of Libya (Temho, Teheno, Libo, Mashwash) was negative, and many Egyptian kings attacked them or repelled them from the incursion into Egypt.
Egypt’s former foreign relations with Nubia:
Relations with Nubia went through a lot of conflicts, and the Egyptians saw this as an extension of their country, but they were confronted with strange peoples who had nothing to do with their civilization, including the people of Nesho and the people of Koush, and Queen Hatshepsut broke this peaceful relationship between Egypt and Nubia to Somalia (Punt) and gave an example. positive of this relationship.
Trade in Ancient Egypt. The most famous Egyptian trip to Nubia is that ordered by Queen Hatshepsut (1457−1472 BC.C.) of the Eighteenth Dynasty (1549−1298 BC.C.) under the direction of Minister (Pa Nehssi), and engraved with his gaze on the walls of Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut in Deir El Bahari on the west bank, Luxor.
Hatshepsut prepared large ships for this journey which left Thebes in the Nile, arrived in the Red Sea through the canal used at the time, entering the “Valley of the Tumilas” in the eastern desert;
The Egyptians were interested in writing down the details of this trip and seeing the Queen’s delegates receive Punt’s rulers and the gifts he gave them, as well as the coastal village where they were anchored.
Foreign trade: Trade in Ancient Egypt
In its ancient history, Egypt was a peaceful country that contacted its neighbors commercially on a large scale, and it was only at the beginning of the history of the New Pharaonic Empire since the eighteenth dynasty that the pursuit of the Hyksos in Lebanon, so its ancient history marked extensive trade relations with the Phoenician coasts of Lebanon through its naval fleets, with Libya by sea and land, with Nubia and Central Africa, and with the sea islands of the Middle East and the ancient Greeks in their ancient times since the beginning of the Bronze Age.
Egypt imported wood (cedar in particular) from the coasts, leather, metal, wood, and textiles, and from Crete imported tools of all kinds, and oils were imported from Libya. Nubia and Central Africa imported their lack of trees, crops, ivory, feathers, animals and incense, and Punt (Somalia) myrrh and incense.
Egypt exported ornaments, pots, truffas, papyri, pottery, and Ancient Egyptian clothing to these regions.
The most famous and important commercial voyages consisted of forty merchant ships carrying Egyptian goods to Phoenician cities during the time of King Sneferu, the first kings of the Fourth Dynasty (around 2680 BC). and the ships returned loaded with wood, factories, furniture, palace doors and temples.
Trade in Ancient Egypt. A similar journey took place in the time of King Sneferu of the Fifth Dynasty, but in the time of Queen Hatshepsut (around 1450 BC).
In the sixth or seventh year of his reign, he ordered “the navigation of five large ships to the land of Pount, the land of incense near Somalia, to bring the country’s products to Egypt under the command of Commander Pa Nehssi, and began the long journey from the Red Sea near Wadi Al-Spy, which was recorded as one of the most important inscriptions to study Punt and its products on the walls of his funerary temple of Deir El Bahari.
Foreign relations Ancient Egypt
Egypt has become a global market since the 6th century BC, becoming a large-scale Western and Eastern civilization, world trade has increased significantly, barter has developed dramatically, and the king (Pharaoh) has become the country’s largest trader, and commercial capital and equity have clearly emerged.
Most foreign trade imports were goods that met the needs of the royal court and the ruling class, and not intended to be distributed in a domestic market for trade or for small domestic traders.
Trade in Ancient Egypt. The most important thing they have done is to send a commercial fleet to explore the coasts of the African continent, from the Red Sea to all sides of the African continent, to the Strait of Gibraltar, to enter the Mediterranean coast and return to Egypt.
This famous three-year trip was an expedition to the shores of Africa, thanks to the fact that they carried their fleet of different types of goods and spread the idea of commercial communication between Africa and the ancient world through Egypt, thus having a major impact on the revitalization of world trade at the time.
The size of the large fleets was a sign of the capacity for trade between Egypt and the rest of the world; from king Senefru’s fleet to Pasmetique’s fleet, the commercial fleet had evolved in many ways.
References Trade in Ancient Egypt: The Book of Egyptian Civilization, Egypt
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