Waterborne traffic: 3000-1000 BC
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By far the easiest method of
transporting goods is by water, particularly in an era when towns and
villages are linked by footpaths rather than roads.
The first extensive trade
routes are up and down the great rivers which become the backbones of early civilizations
- the Nile, the Tigris and Euphrates, the Indus and the Yellow River.
As boats become sturdier, coastal trade extends human contact and promotes wealth. The eastern Mediterranean is the first region to develop extensive maritime trade, first between Egypt and Minoan Crete and then - in the ships of the intrepid Phoenicians - westwards through the chain of Mediterranean islands and along the north African coast. 
The Phoenicians lived on the coast of the Fertile Crescent and were famous during Ancient Greek and Roman times because of their trading by ship.
The best seafarers and ship builders of the ancient world were the Phoenicians. The famous cedar tress covering the slopes of mountains of their native land was a perfect material for construction of strong seaworthy ships. |
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Waterborne
Footpath
Extensive
Sturdy
Coastal Trade
Mediterranean
Maritime Trade
Intrepid
Seafarers
Seaworthy
TASKS:
1. Summarize the text in your own words.
2. What are the important ideas in the text?
3. What are the benefits of seaborne trade?