Download how do contacts and conflicts change societies? trade

HOW DO CONTACTS AND CONFLICTS
CHANGE SOCIETIES?
TRADE
Egypt established a wide network of trade contacts throughout its history. These
new markets boosted Egypt’s economy and helped her to prosper. Trade also gave
the Egyptians access to exotic goods from faraway lands.
Evidence from tomb paintings, artefacts and written texts prove that Egyptians were
trading from early in their history. Ancient Egyptians used the Nile to carry out
trading journeys, as well as the Red Sea. They also travelled over land.
Egypt had many natural resources to trade: grain, dates, flax, stone, fish, oxen and
salt. Most trade was conducted by barter. If you look at the map below, you will see
the types of goods the Egyptians received.
Foreign trade also had other benefits, such as its influence on art, religion and
culture. Egyptians regarded all foreigners as inferior, however there were migrants
living in Egypt, such as Sumerians who brought ideas about writing, wheels and
irrigation to Egypt.
Source: Oxford Big Ideas History 7 (Saldais, Taylor, Young)
Trade Routes and Commodities Traded in Ancient Egypt
Use the map to answer the following questions.
1. List three items the Egyptians obtained from Nubia and three from Retenu
(Syria/Palestine.)
2. Choose four different types of commodity. Using the table below, explain why
Egyptians might have wanted/needed this commodity.
COMMODITY
OBTAINED FROM
POSSIBLE USE?
Some “trade” with other countries was more like an exchange of gifts. A less
powerful nation (that probably feared Egypt) might give better goods than they
received. This was a way foreign rulers showed respect to the pharaohs.
At the height of its power, Egypt had vassal states. These were usually weaker
countries or regions that the Egyptians had conquered and now protected. These
states paid tribute to Egypt, in return for that protection. The Egyptians used some
of these goods for trade as well. The tribute collected by the Egyptians increased
the country’s wealth considerably!
In 1887 some tablets were found at Amarna. The majority of the tablets are letters.
These letters were sent to the Egyptian Pharaohs Amenophis III and his son
Akhenaten around the middle of the 14th century B.C. The correspondents were the
kings of the Near East at that time, and vassals of the Egyptian Empire.
The Amarna tablets reveal the nature of the diplomatic relationship between Egypt
and these other societies.
The letter below shows that some kings weren’t afraid to ask for more “gifts” from
Egypt!
“When my father and your father had dealings in good friendship, they sent each
other beautiful presents, and nothing they refused. Now, my brother has sent me
only two mines (about 1kg) of gold. But this is a very small amount: send, then, as
much as your father did! And if you have little (gold), send half of what your father
sent! Why have you sent me only two mines of gold?”
(A letter from Burnaburiash, king of Babylon, to Pharaoh Akhenaten)
Source: Website “Facts and Details” http://factsanddetails.com
Source: From “The British Museum” http://www.britishmuseum.org
The two pictures are tomb paintings depicting the trade of goods.
1. List any items you can identify
2. Using the map, can you work out where they may have come from?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
CASE STUY: QUEDEN HATSHEPSUT’S EXPEDITION TO PUNT
One of ancient Egypt’s most famous trading exercises was carried out by a female
pharaoh – Queen Hatshepsut, around the year 1493BCE. She sent Chancellor Nehesy
and the army to Punt (
It was the first time in hundreds of years that possibly modern-day Somalia) where
they obtained luxurious and exotic goods. The Egyptians had gone to Punt and we
know it was a significant expedition for Hatshepsut as she had reliefs carved depicting
the voyage in a prominent location in her mortuary temple.
Hatshepsut’s mortuary temple
Source: www.123rf.com
Hatshepsut organised the expedition to Punt to:
Obtain myrrh and frankincense trees: thirty one trees provided resin and incense
needed for temple ceremonies and everyday use (e.g. mummification, medicinal aids
and perfumed oils).

Establish a trade route: Punt was rich in exotic products (ivory used for making
amulets, inlays for furniture and headrests; woods such as ebony for temples and
tomb furniture; live animals such as the sacred baboon, monkeys and apes; animal
skins; and metals such as gold used for making electrum and jewellery).


Honour the god Amun: the products obtained were dedicated to Amun.
The scenes from Hatshepsut’s temple are broken into five main parts. Five fully loaded
ships under the command of Nehesy are seen departing with a small contingent of
soldiers. The ships arrive at Punt. The Puntites, led by their king Parahu and his obese
wife Eti, greet the Egyptians fearfully with their hands uplifted. The people are shown
to be living in small conical huts close to shore. Tables are set up covered with daggers,
axes, bangles, necklaces and rings. The Puntites bring forward monkeys, panthers and
resin. Trade seems brisk and definitely in the Egyptians’ favour. The inscription refers
to the Egyptian items as offerings to Hathor and the Puntites’ goods as tribute.
The products are then carried into the ships. The ships return to Thebes. Native chieftains
present themselves to Hatshepsut along with the products of Punt. Incense is weighed and
recorded by treasurer Thutiy for Hatshepsut and Thoth on behalf of Amun-Re. Hatshepsut,
followed by her ka, dedicates the products to Amun. She then announces to her court the
success of the expedition and her fulfilment of Amun’s commands. She orders to plant the
thirty one myrrh trees in Amun’s temple precinct.
Source: “Nile Muse” website http://www.nilemuse.com
Source: New Kingdom Egypt (Demovic & Baker)
ACTIVITY
Use the template on the next page to write a front page news story describing
this amazing journey. Nehesy has just returned from Punt with all these
wonderfully exotic goods and your readers want to know all about the voyage.
Remember, Hatshepsut may read this story too, so make sure you do not
displease the pharaoh!
Extra activities:
This website allows you to click on different sections of the Punt reliefs
for more information about them.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ancient/expedition-punt.html