Answer: The people of early empires relied on trade to acquire goods that could not be found or produced within their own empire. For example, the Egyptians called upon their neighbors to the south for gold and ivory. The people of the Middle East acquired silk from China. Incense and spices came from India.
Trade flourished as demand for these goods spread.
The success of trade in early empires often depended on the empire's location. Geography determined the location of trade routes. Merchants of the Mediterranean had to use sea routes. The Chinese traveled by land via the Silk Road, transporting various goods on their way to the markets of the Middle East. Close proximity to trade routes allowed some empires to improve economically.The study of trade routes is important in history because trade allowed for interactions between people of different cultures to take place. As trade between empires continued, ideas, religious beliefs, and culture were exchanged alongside the trading of material goods. Foreign influences thus had a large impact on the development of early empires.
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