Indian Ocean Classical Trade Timeline

By eedwards010
  • 2800 BCE

    The Lost Caravan City of Ubar

    The Lost Caravan City of Ubar is estimated to have begun trading as early as 2800. The city is believed to have been very successful for incense trade as it was in a prime location on the incense trade route.
  • 1000 BCE

    Sugar Cane Exportation

    Sugar cane reaches India where it is seen as a luxury. Sugar cane became a large export and contributor to trade in the Classical era
  • Period: 610 BCE to 595 BCE

    Pharaoh Necho II Reigns

    Pharaoh Necho II started building the canal between the Nile River and the Red Sea. He also hired the Phoenicians to explore the ocean around Africa.
  • 600 BCE

    Phoenician Travel

    The Phoenicians, one of the most developed Mediterranean societies of their time, circumnavigate the African continent.
  • Period: 515 BCE to 510 BCE

    Scylax of Caryanda Voyage

    A Greek explorer who made a voyage into the Indian Ocean in service of Persian King Darius. He sailed from the Indus River to Egypt. This voyage encouraged trade expeditions and he later wrote a handbook for mariners.
  • 377 BCE

    Anuradhapura Founded

    Anuradhapura was an Ancient Kingdom of Sri Lanka. This island in the Indian Ocean was crucial for trade during this time due to its key location. Sri Lanka was also famous for its cinnamon, which was a popular trade item at the time.
  • Period: 356 BCE to 323 BCE

    Alexander the Great

    Commander of a large Greek army, Alexander the Great conquered many territories in Europe and Asia. Through his conquests, he brought Greek culture to foreign lands and laid the foundation for cultural exchanges.
  • Period: 206 BCE to 220

    Han Dynasty

    The Han Dynasty opened trading with the West on the Silk Road.
  • 138 BCE

    Zhang Qian Voyage

    Sent by emperor Wudi to find allies in the Yuezhi, Zhang Qian first travels on the Silk Road which led to the formation of trade from China to Central Asia.
  • 130 BCE

    Silk Trade Begins

    The silk trade officially begins on the Silk Road when the Han Dynasty opens trade with the West.
  • 80 BCE

    Aksum Trade Port

    A kingdom in modern day Ethiopia that controlled African gold and ivory trade. Linked to the Red and Indian Seas, Aksum traded with Greece, Sri Lanka, Persia, and India.
  • Period: 64 BCE to 23

    Strabo the Geographer

    A Greek traveler and author of the work 'Geography,' Strabo the geographer collected and compared information to provide the best possible picture of the known world.
  • 70

    Periplus of the Erythraean Sea

    Written by an Egyptian merchant from Alexandria, the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea is a trader's handbook that gives a detailed account of trade between Roman Egypt and India. It provides information such as ports, the people at the ports, and goods that are imported and exported.
  • 77

    Natural History

    Written by Pliny the Elder, it is an encyclopedia that discusses trade between the Roman Empire and the Arabian Peninsula.