Akkadian Sea Trade

Akkadian sea trade refers to Bronze Age commerce documented in cuneiform tablets of the Akkadian Empire around 2300 BCE, linking Mesopotamia to Dilmun (Bahrain), Magan (Oman), and Meluhha (the Indus Valley). Sargon of Akkad’s inscriptions boast of ships from these lands berthing at the quay of Akkad. The trade moved copper, carnelian, timber, and textiles up the Persian Gulf. It is among the earliest written evidence of organized long-distance maritime exchange and anchors the study of ancient Indian Ocean and Gulf networks.