Next we travel to Mari, a hugely important former trading city on the western bank of the Euphrates, in the search of Minoan influence in the area.
We learn of Zimri-Lim and his remarkable journey, showing how vital a role trade played in promoting the art and science of the time. Taking with him an enormous retinue of more than 4,000 men and coffers of gifts and tin ingots, the likeable bon viveur travelled for six months. The records show that the king was an avid collector of Minoan art and pottery. Three months after setting forth, Zimri-Lim reached Ugarit on the Mediterranean coast.
We move next to Beirut, and thence to Damascus. The city not only has a beautiful climate, rich soil and abundant water but was at the crossroads of ancient trade routes. One route led north from Egypt up the fertile crescent through Damascus and on to Mesopotamia. Coming from the opposite direction, a merchant from the east landing from India in the Euphrates estuary could travel upriver through Mesopotamia then turn south through fertile land, by-passing the mountains all the way to Egypt.
Further reading:
Jack M. Sasson – Civilisations of the Ancient Near East: http://www.hendrickson.com/html/product/36074.trade.html
Jack M. Sasson, Beyond Babylon: Trade and Traders:
http://people.vanderbilt.edu/~jack.m.sasson/Beyond_Babylon_remarks.pdf
Andre Parrot – Mari excavations: http://archaeology.about.com/od/pterms/g/parrota.htm
Hall of Mari: http://www.oocities.org/encyclopedia_damascena/ancientsyria/mari.htm
Zimri Lim: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zimrilim
The Teaching Company User Community Forum Index – Between the Rivers: The History of Ancient Mesopotamia: http://teachingcompany.12.forumer.com/viewforum.php?f=223
