Okay so for context, my specialism is Ptolemaic and Roman Egypt so that is gonna inform my particular evidence. In terms of literature, there are bits and pieces all over the place: Strabo, Pliny the Elder, Diodorus, and a variety of Ptolemaic poets and stuff.

There’s also some contextual evidence such as references to goods that could only have come from abroad. One of the big pieces of evidence is the so-called Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, which is basically a trade guide written by a Roman sailor advising people on the best places to trade and sail in the Red Sea and parts of the Indian Ocean.

We also have papyri which often complements the literary evidence. As a good example, we have one papyrus attesting to the sinking of an elephantegoi, a type of ship developed by Ptolemy II for the acquisition of elephants from East Africa.

Then there’s just archaeology: a Roman coin under a Japanese castle, Greek-inspired art in Southeast Asia, many many pots in India, an Egyptian statue in Zimbabwe just as examples. What’s important to remember is that this doesn’t necessarily indicate that Romans or Greeks necessarily went to these places, but that they were tied into very active and wide ranging trade networks.

Language barriers are always difficult, not least in papyri where they can be in multiple ancient languages and have often been translated into multiple different modern languages. Often the best way is just to have a good knowledge of lots of different languages, especially modern languages in order to access as many translations as possible.

Going forward, I’d really like to work on my Greek and Coptic and try to push digitisation so that papyri are more accessible for future scholars. In other cases, sometimes the beta you can do is find other people who may know relevant languages or have expertise in relevant areas.

Theoretically, I’m of the personal opinion that local, regional, and global narratives are extensions of one another. They can be dealt with separately but a completely picture has to acknowledge that they are neither separate nor isolated.

Personally, I have dealt more with regional understandings of trade than either global or local.

Hope this helps!

also biting

what are your thoughts on possible coca and tobacco use in ancient Egypt?

I'll bite, as well!

What books do you recommend on the subject.

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The Bronze Age had many long distance trade networks. Tin and precious stones from Afghanistan, cedar and resin from Lebanon, ivory and wood from Punt (Yemen or the Horn of Africa, still debated), copper from Cyrus, pottery from mainland Greece, amber from the Baltic, olives from Italy and much more were to be found in the Egyptian market places.

If you want to get a good overview of the vastness of international networks I'd recommend Eric Cline's 1177: the year civilization collapsed.

Well I'll bite:

What kinds of evidence are you looking at?

How do you navigate the language barriers?

Theoretically, how do you approach questions? Ex. Globally, regionally, locally? How do you derive inferences?

"The Silk Roads: A New World History" by Peter Frankopan isn't specifically about ancient trade. But it is a fantastic world history from a Central Asian and Middle Eastern focus.

He does a great job of pointing out the global forces and trends that tied Asia and Europe together. Most histories look at Central Asia as a wasteland that divided the pre-modern world but Frankopan offers a view of a connected world that created Middle Eastern and Mediterranean empires supported by overland trade. It's no coincidence that the European discovery of sea routes to Asia in the 1400-1500's coincides with the economic decline of the Middle East.

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This is actually what my postgraduate is on; I’m down to answer any questions I may be able to answer.

Just read an article about some archaeology on California’s Channel islands, one thing that stood out was their mention of the islands’ lack of burrowing rodents. Over decades and centuries those things can really churn up the soil, making it impossible to find less permanent physical evidence that would otherwise tell us a lot about who used to live there.

I thought it was bitumen/tar that they used as the main ingredient? Tar/bitumen was called mummia or mummy which is where mummies got their name from.

I think you can just boil the plants in water and scoop the oil off the top.

Sometimes I wish I could kiss that stupid sob for all the joy he and his cohorts bring. This will have to do 💋

I think they found some naturally mummified because the dry sand.

Pastrami is the most sensual of the cured meats

I'll let you have one guess.

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So how is that "ancient global trade"?

CE. It describes itself as being about modern history...

I assume OP is either American or young.

Facts. Civilizations are supply chains, not the race based structures that Western definitions use to promote Western cultures to the detriment of others. A quick read of Herodotus would show that at the beginning of what we call ‘Western Civilization’, the Greeks learned philosophy and religion from Kemet.

By some 3x or more, even without disputing the official ages of the Great Pyramids. Egypt/Kemet is just about the longest lasting continuous civilization ever

Even more, by a whole lot.

Cleopatra went to Sugar Daddy Julius Caesar because the native Kemetians sided with her brother. Caesar wanted a post in Egypt long before he became Caesar. Caesar was in his youth a member of the priesthood of Apollo, who was identified back then as a version of Ra, the Sun God. He really wanted Egypt. Cleopatra was an added side chick bonus.

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