May
15
/ 2020
Many think of globalization as a modern and corporate phenomenon, and it has been readily linked to the spread of coronavirus. But modern globalization isn’t new. Archaeological research shows it began in antiquity. A global economy, with luxury consumerism and global interconnectivity, linked Europe, Africa and Asia at least 5,000 years ago and was widespread 2,000 years ago. Over the past decade, archaeological excavations of ancient ports of trade have revealed prosperous networks of maritime and terrestrial trade that flourished in the ancient world. Recent discoveries challenge our understanding of global economies and international connectivity through studies of architecture, excavated trade goods, and “ ecofacts”: organic evidence (such as seeds, pollen or various sediments) associated with human activity. Commercial ports
