The Economic History of the World--It's About Trade


Our narratives about where we came from, what we believe and how we got here are often buried by new information. Even the new information that comes along leaves big questions. A wonderful small bit of information was recently removed from an ancient shipwreck. What was aboard the ship gives us a window into history not available elsewhere and shoves aside some long-standing historical narratives. 

One of the narratives tells us that the stone age was placed by the bronze age which was replaced by the iron age. It turns out stone was more useful than bronze and iron for certain applications. Bronze continued to be used for many purposed after steel became available. 

The Broze Age is said to have existed from roughly 3,000 to 1,000 BCE. After that until the present is the Iron Age. The shipwreck was from about 2,000 BCE, toward the end of the Bronze Age. It contained lots of tin and other metals. It is clear it had been to several ports to offload commodities needed at each one and take on commodities needed at future ports. The tin and other metals were ingredients for making bronze. 

Bronze continued to be used after iron was invented. It was used because iron rusts but bronze does not. The shipwreck provided an insight into why bronze was replaced by iron in many uses after 1,000 BCE. Bronze required several medals. To gather them from around the world and bring them to one location, which the ship was doing, was quite expensive. Iron had but one ingredient. 

The sunken ship with its complex variety of cargo illustrates the folly of Trump and now Biden who have either luke warm enthusiasm for world trade or downright hostility. Trump has said he "doesn't like trade." It is said wealthy Japanese drove up the price a buildings he wanted to buy and he thought their wealth came from trade with the U.S. Of course, those selling the buildings were happy with trade. 

The sophisticated assembly of cargo on a ship from 2,000 BCE illustrates the considerable technology and knowledge available at that early time. It would be a shame to slow the trade and technology that has provided us with health and wealth.   

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