Classical Period Timeline

Bananas

5000 BCE

Used in China as a food and crop.

Muziris

3000 BCE

Famous trading market. Ceramics were mostly traded and bought here. This was also in sight from the sea.

Disease

2500 BCE

Disease became a problem when more people started to travel to new places.

Canal connecting Nile to Red Sea

1850 BCE

Built to make trade easier with the islands along the Indian Ocean. This route was a time-saving route.

Language Difficulty

1600 BCE

Travelers could not understand each other because they all used a different way of communicating.

Gemstones

1500 BCE

Used to add color to crown, necklaces, sword handles and drinking cups.

Camel Saddle

1200 BCE

Helped to provide support to the camel's body. The camel was better able to carry heavy loads as well as comfortably sit the passenger.

Phoenician Ships

1100 BCE

Ship that was designed to carry a huge amount of goods and about 20 men. The ships design was one to haul all items as well as allow for easy travel and see the direction being traveled.

Mediterranean Sea Routes

1000 BCE

These were better suited for heavy things.

Phoenicans

1000 BCE

Led in travel. They were known forproducts made of glass. Traveled further than anyone else and made many advanced ships and used navigation techniques big for their time. Created a writing system and alphabet to help travelers to communicate better.

Sri Lanka

980 BCE

A buddhist monument that linked eastern and western parts of Indian Ocean. This became a huge place of trade, the island was known for its cinnamon. Many travelers conducted trade here.

Taking over land

950 BCE

Travelers started to take over each others land while trying to expand their area on trade routes

Aksum

940 BCE

This was a place of huge international trade. Linked to the Indian Ocean and Red Sea. Had many exports including gold and spices. Many foreign trades came there because of its easy access.

Price

920 BCE

Travelers were not able to afford the trade price of some goods they they really needed/wanted.

Indian Ocean Trade

800 BCE

Linked to trade there because of the strong winds that could help the boats to move.

Kamal

800 BCE

A device used to observe the latitude at sea. Used the horizon and position of a certain star to figure out latitude. This information was used by the pilot to go to certain latitudes where the port cities were.

Kaveripattinam

700 BCE

Major port city where warehouses were to allow travelers to stay if they needed to. Many goods were sold there including gold and perals. Many markets came together to sell their products.

Pharaoh Necho II

610 BCE

The one who began construction on the canal between the Red Sea and Nile River. He stopped the project when the canal would be sandy and promote easy access. Sent phoenicians on a journey so he can better understand the surrounding water.

Navigation by Polaris

600 BCE

Also called "Little Dipper" does not change position and was a good indicator of the north direction. This allowed travelers to use this to ensure they stayed on track.

Pepper

520 BCE

Luxury good that could be used for medicine and to cook.

Scylax of Caryanda

515 BCE

Went to explore different trade routes and became known for them. He brought good news of the region he travelled and said trade should start there.

Alexander the Great

510 BCE

Founded Alandria, this became a major place of trade. He was the one that paved the way for interactions and exchanges of culture.

Angkor Borei and OC Eco

500 BCE

These sites were rich in farmland. Had canals that helped travelers along the way. Helped to transfer goods from Indian Ocean and South China sea ports into trade routes.

Ancient Fishing Boats

500 BCE

Flat bottomed boat made of materials to resist rot. These boats were used for both fishing and helping to unload boats that docked offshore.

Sugar Cane

350 BCE

Used for its taste, to make juice and to feed to animals. This was known as a luxury.

Alexandria

331 BCE

Area of alot of international trade. Since it had a location on the Mediterranean Sea and Nile River it was popular on many trade routes.

Lost Caravan City of Ubar

300 BCE

Routes usually travelled by camel. The city was a huge place of trade because of the many items that were available there.

Arikamedu

300 BCE

This was a very important place for trading with Rome. The trading post was huge for them. This site was where stone and glass beads were made. Rome learned many things and could trade for pottery.

Palmyra

273 BCE

Wealthy trade route along the caravan routes. Connected the silk road and incense road. Had many goods pass through.

Silk

250 BCE

Made by silk worms and was a key trade on the silk road.

Cloves

207 BCE

Dried buds of flower used to freshen peoples breath.

Vyadhapura, Capital of Funan

200 BCE

City that had many thing including libraries, canals and boats. This was a location many went to do business. This location was also used for good farming. The winds that passed by helped travelers t get boats going.

Zhang Qian

139 BCE

One of the early explorers of what is known as the silk route. When brought back music and many fruits it encouraged others to go there.

Silk Routes

130 BCE

Made it easy to trade and let people have access to many materials.

Cinnamon and Cassia

65 BCE

They were traded often because they looked like each other. They also added flavor when they are cooking.

Starbo the Geographer

44 BCE

Traveled to different ports to hear about other places. His map gave a look at the location and size of the other places that were talked about.

Isodorus of Carax

26 BCE

Wrote books talking about the geography in amny locations. He showed one route that was very well known. He also wrote about important figures before they were famous.

Berenike

275

This was a port city on the Red Sea. Usually this port was used to trade with India. The port was used as an access when items were being imported.

Barygaza

1296

A difficult port to be reached. Had to be brought in on smaller boats. This still was important because of the great fisherman that lived there.