Axum was what is now northern Ethiopia and Eritrea, Axum was deeply involved in the trade network between India and the Mediterranean, exporting ivory, tortoise shell, gold and emeralds, and importing silk and spices. Axum's access to both the Red Sea and the Upper Nile helped to gain its strong navy to profit in trade between various African, Arabian, and Indian states.
The main exports of Axum were, agricultural products. The land was much more fertile during the time of the Axumites than it is now, and their main crops were grains such as wheat and barley. The people of Axum also raised cattle, sheep, and camels. Wild animals were also hunted for valuable trade items such as ivory and rhinoceros horns. They traded with Roman traders as well as Egyptian and Persian merchants. The empire was also rich in the production of gold and iron deposits. These metals were valuable to trade, but another mineral was also widely traded. Salt was abundant in Axum and was traded quite frequently.
Axum benefited from the major transformation of their trading system, that linked the Roman Empire and India. This was due to Axum’s resource of salt. This change took place around the start of the 1st century. The older trading system involved sailing and stopping at many ports. The Red Sea was of secondary importance to the Persian Gulf and overland connections to the Levant. Starting around 100 BC a route from Egypt to India was created, making use of the Red Sea and using monsoon winds to cross the Arabian Sea directly to southern India. By about 100 AD the amount of traffic being shipped on this route had brought to light some of the older trade routes.The Roman demand for goods from southern India increased dramatically, resulting in greater number of large ships sailing down the Red Sea from Roman rule in Egypt to the Arabian Sea and India.
The main exports of Axum were, agricultural products. The land was much more fertile during the time of the Axumites than it is now, and their main crops were grains such as wheat and barley. The people of Axum also raised cattle, sheep, and camels. Wild animals were also hunted for valuable trade items such as ivory and rhinoceros horns. They traded with Roman traders as well as Egyptian and Persian merchants. The empire was also rich in the production of gold and iron deposits. These metals were valuable to trade, but another mineral was also widely traded. Salt was abundant in Axum and was traded quite frequently.
Axum benefited from the major transformation of their trading system, that linked the Roman Empire and India. This was due to Axum’s resource of salt. This change took place around the start of the 1st century. The older trading system involved sailing and stopping at many ports. The Red Sea was of secondary importance to the Persian Gulf and overland connections to the Levant. Starting around 100 BC a route from Egypt to India was created, making use of the Red Sea and using monsoon winds to cross the Arabian Sea directly to southern India. By about 100 AD the amount of traffic being shipped on this route had brought to light some of the older trade routes.The Roman demand for goods from southern India increased dramatically, resulting in greater number of large ships sailing down the Red Sea from Roman rule in Egypt to the Arabian Sea and India.