The Ancient Near East

¶ … Near East

Though it is a small area, the Levant has played host to some of the most monumental events in history. The origin of three of the world's major religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, the area is of interest to religious scholars and archeologists alike. Archeologists had always suspected that the area was rich in trade, but the sheer number of artifacts on the ship suggest that not only was trade in the area extensive, but also that several of the people groups represented through items on the ship associated socially.

The sheer amount of artifacts and raw materials on board the ship suggest that it was a trade vessel by occupation. Though artifacts such as jewelry, tools, containers were discovered on the ship, the bulk of the items were raw materials such as gold, bronze, and copper (Uluburun artifacts). In fact, the wreck contained more tin than any other shipwreck of the Bronze Age and the first shipwreck in which resin could be identified; the ship was carrying the largest amount ever found (University of Texas). The abundance of raw materials not only strengthens the assumption that the ship was a trade vessel by occupation and that it was headed for a large trade center, perhaps the Nile. Additional implications of this material suggest that the region was more wealthy and resourceful than before imagined.

One of the most important implications of the artifacts found on the Uluburun is the extent of trade in the Levant. With few harbors and waterways that made trade naturally convenient, the Levant still managed to participate in a great deal of trade. In fact, discoveries made among the wreckage of the Uluburun proves the extension of that trade. Three major trade routes have always been associated with the area -- the Way of the Sea, the Ridge Route, and the King's Highway, which allowed trade between Anatolia, Egypt, and Mesopotamia (Major Trade Routes). Artifacts were found on the shipwreck to confirm these trade routes. Though some believe the ship to have been heading for Egypt and the Nile, Egyptian artifacts were found on board. For example, a ring made of gold and silver, or electrum, which occurs naturally only in Egypt, was found among a pile of discarded scrap metal aboard the ship (Uluburun Artifacts). This implies that the ship had been to traded with Egypt in the past, perhaps making the journey several times. Anatolian and Mesopotamian artifacts were also discovered on board (Uluburun Artifacts).

In addition to confirming the three main trade routes of the Levant, the relics of the Uluburun also extended them. Stephen Bachhuber suggested that artifacts found on the ship developed a connection between the Mycenaean Agean and the rest of the Levant. According to Bachhuber, the Myceaen Agean presence on the Uluburun ship pointed out an important connection between the Semetic and Aegean civilizations (Bachhuber). In addition to the Agean-Semetic connection, materials on the ship also came from Africa, including African woods like Ebony, Elephant tusks, and hippopotamus teeth, which were counted among the rarer items in the findings. Finally, tests of the raw copper found on the ship suggested that some of the material came from as far as Europe, especially Spain (University of Texas). This confirms that the trade routes in the Levant were not only as extensive as previously assumed, but a considerable degree further.

The implications about trade that can be drawn from the artifacts found on the Ulburun are not restricted to simple economics. Instead, the artifacts also allow for important social implications. According to the University of Texas, the wreck's anchors allowed scholars to assume that the ship came from Syria, but remains of Mycenaen travelers were also found among the wreckage. These finds are evidence of the fact that the two cultures were mixing socially, traveling together on the ship.