![]() Contrary to the claims of some scholars, trade in Egypt did not progress from practicality to luxury but remained fairly consistent regarding the goods imported and exported. The dancing dwarf of Pepi II is only one example of Old Kingdom luxury items. If thou arrivest at court this dwarf being with thee alive, prosperous and healthy, my majesty will do for thee a greater thing than that which was done for the treasurer of the god Burded in the time of Isesi, according to the heart's desire of my majesty to see the dwarf. My majesty desires to see this dwarf more than the gifts of Sinai and of Punt. When he sleeps at night appoint excellent people, who shall sleep beside him in his tent, inspect ten times a night. When he goes down with thee into the vessel, appoint excellent people, who shall be beside him on each side of the vessel take care lest he fall into the water. Yam was located far to the south, and a caravan had to endure threats from bandits, regional rulers, and nature in the form of floods or windstorms.Ĭome northward to the court immediately thou shalt bring this dwarf with thee, which thou bringest living, prosperous and healthy from the land of spirits, for the dances of the god, to rejoice and gladden the heart of the king of Upper and Lower Egypt, Neferkare, who lives forever. The journeys to Nubia were not always easy. Gold was mined by slaves primarily in Nubia and Egypt's neighboring kings often sent letters requesting vast quantities be sent. Egypt had grain in plenty, and would eventually become known as ' Rome's breadbasket' during the Roman period, but lacked wood, metal, and other precious stones needed for amulets, jewelry, and other ornamentation. The kinds of goods traded varied from region to region. The difference between Old Kingdom and New Kingdom trade was that the New Kingdom was far more interested in luxury items and, the more they became acquainted with, the more they wanted. ![]() The trade initiated during the Old Kingdom of Egypt helped fund the pyramids of Giza and countless other monuments. Hatshepsut organized the best-known trade expedition to Punt (modern-day Somalia) which brought back boatloads of valuable items, including incense-bearing trees, but this kind of profit from trade was nothing new. ![]() The period of the New Kingdom was the time of Egypt's empire when trade was most lucrative and contributed to the wealth necessary to build monuments like the Temple of Karnak, the Colossi of Memnon, and the mortuary temple of Hatshepsut. Yam continued as an important trade center through the Middle Kingdom of Egypt (2040-1782 BCE) but then disappears from the records and is replaced by another called Irem by the time of the New Kingdom (c. The precise location of Yam is unknown, but it is thought to have been somewhere in the Shendi Reach area of the Nile in modern-day Sudan. 2613-2181 BCE) Yam is cited as a resource for wood, ivory, and gold. One of the most important trade centers in Nubia is referred to in Egyptian texts as Yam. 2670 BCE), led campaigns to Nubia to put down rebellions and secure trade centers and his methods became the standard for the kings who came after him. Khasekhemwy, the last king of the Second Dynasty of Egypt (c. Later kings would continue to keep a strong Egyptian presence on the border to ensure the safety of the resources and trade routes. Nubia was rich in gold mines and, in fact, gets its name from the Egyptian word for gold, nub. 3050-3000 BCE) led an army against Nubia, which secured valuable trade centers. The third king of the First Dynasty, Djer (c. ![]() While many of these trade agreements were achieved through peaceful negotiation, some were established by military campaign. One of the most important trade centers in Nubia is referred to in Egyptian texts as Yam, a resource for wood, ivory, and gold. ![]()
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