Ancient Civilizations Economy Essay Sample

A civilization’s influence and power have always been determined by the strength of its economy. The economy of ancient civilizations influenced civilizations and their settlement. The economy was affected by available resources, land, and the trading it accomplished. 

ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA

Resources, land, and trading impacted the economy in ancient Mesopotamia. The people of ancient Mesopotamia were called the Sumerians. The Sumerians used river water to fish and to irrigate their crops. If the Sumerians lived closer to the rivers they most likely had a better supply of food for themselves and for trading. According to the padlet edpuzzle ‘The Economy of Mesopotamia by Instructomania’, “they cleared timber for farmland, and mined nearby mountains for gold, silver, and copper.” This shows that the ancient Mesopotamians were resourceful. Having access to these assets provided them with trading goods and making their land valuable. The Sumerians grew lots of grain on their fertile land. They used this grain and the oil that they had to trade for wood rocks, gems, and different crafts. “A surplus of grain allowed cities to grow into trading centers'' says the padlet edpuzzle ‘The Economy of Mesopotamia by Instructomania.’ Since they were able to grow into salient trading centers, ancient Mesopotamia’s economy thrived. In ancient Mesopotamia there were numerous jobs and duties such as metalworkers, builders, and artisans. Artisans wove wool into fabrics and used clay to create pottery. The padlet edpuzzle ‘The Economy of Mesopotamia by Instructomania ’ says that the Sumerians ‘used silver, gold, and copper as Shekels of coins.’ This made it easier to value goods and measure a person's wealth. They first traded amongst themselves in the city-states, but they eventually started to trade with other civilizations. The Sumerians used trade centers which are places where different civilizations meet up to trade. The ancient Mesopotamians traded with Greece, Egypt, and South Asia. To take goods to their destinations, the Sumerians used caravans pulled by donkeys. In time, they crafted the wheel and made animals pull carts on long trade routes to carry an even greater amount of goods. They even used rivers for transportation by making ‘guffas which were made of canvas stretched over metal rods and then coated with tar’ says the padlet ‘Mesopotamia Trade Routes and Transportation’. Because of all of this trading Ancient Mesopotamia’s economy was at its peak in 2800 BC. 

ANCIENT EGYPT

The economy in ancient Egypt was influenced but its resources, land, and trading. Ancient Egypts economy was built upon the Nile River. Stated by padlet edpuzzle ‘The Economy of Ancient Egypt by Instructomania’ the 4,159 mile long river provided the ancient Egyptians with ‘food, drinking water and irrigation for crops. In addition, it's flooding season deposited good farming soil onto the Nile banks.’ ‘The ancient Egyptians used clay from the banks of the Nile River to make ornate pottery.’ says the padlet edpuzzle ‘The Economy of Ancient Egypt by Instructomania’ These rich fields became the foundation for Egypt's agricultural economy. A lot of this pottery was prized globally in the ancient world for its picturesqueness and functionality as a repository for goods and it was well traded. In the southern hills, referred to as Nubia Egypt, the ancient Egyptians mined for gold which they traded. Other resources that the ancient Egyptians traded included papyrus paper linen cloth and gold jewelry. According to padlet edpuzzle ‘The Economy of Ancient Egypt by Instructomania’ ‘The ancient Egyptians traded with people in Africa, the Mediterranean regions such as Greece and Rome, and as far east as Asia.’ Trade materials were sent by land on caravans or on ships across the Mediterranean Sea and Indian Oceans to other civilizations. They traded for articles such as cedar wood and other timber, precious stones, copper, silver, oils, and smaller livestock. Ancient Egypts’ economy was at its peak in 332 B.C. There were many ways that the ancient Egyptians paid for what they traded. That included the grain banks, the barter system, and metal weights. The grain banks were where they paid in grain. The barter system was where they traded with another person for things that were equally of worth. The ancient Egyptians only started to use coins in 500 BCE. 

ANCIENT INDIA

Land, resources, and trading were an important factor in ancient India’s economy. In order to make money, the ancient Indians took advantage of resources and trade routes by cultivating and creating artifacts. As stated by padlet edpuzzle ‘The Economy of Ancient India’ ‘The Aryans or indo-europeans migrated into northern India about 1500 BCE’. This helped expand trade of resources that the Aryans brought with them such as sugarcane and cotton. Indian artisans made pottery, clothing and jewelry from nearby resources such as silver, gold, timber, and semi-precious gems. According to padlet edpuzzle ‘The Economy of Ancient India’, ‘Farmers brought food into the cities. City workers made such things as pots, glass, stone beads, and cotton cloth. Traders brought the materials and took away finished goods to trade in other cities and international destinations such as Egypt, Mesopotamia, and even China.’ The jobs and trading in this process helped boost ancient India. One of the items that ancient India traded for was silk from ancient China. It is believed by historians that initial long-distance trade happened in 3000 BC between Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley. Long distance trading, due to the fact it was very difficult, was limited virtually only to opulence goods like textiles, precious metals, and spices. As stated by the supplemental text ‘Ancient India Trade’ ‘the largest cities and towns [were] situated along major river systems and coastal areas where people could control the movement of goods and raw materials along the trade routes.’ This affected ancient civilizations by making the center cities wealthy and affluent. Sea-borne trade was completely decided by monsoon winds. The northeast monsoon winds from May to June assisted the path of boats towards the Red Sea while the south-easterly winds supplied wind power for the return trip in August. The ancient Mesopotamians living closer to the sea or a river would have been able to trade by sea more easily than others. (Supplemental text) Ancient Indians used a set of weights and measurements for trade. These were mainly cubes of multiple sizes that were used as weights to guarantee an exact quantity of goods were traded. Because of all the trading, ancient India’s economy was at its peak in 332 B.C.

CONCLUSION

Ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, and India were all affected by their economy. I believe that the economy of each played a role in the development of each civilization. The power and even existence of the civilizations were both influenced by the civilization's economy. An ancient civilization's economy relied on the civilization's resources, land, and its trading.