Evidence Of Commerce Between Ancient Israel And China

Eureka Alert ^ | 2-4-2008 | Amir Gilat

[blam]

Contact: Amir Gilat
agilat@univ.haifa.ac.il
972-482-40092
University of Haifa

Evidence of commerce between ancient Israel and China

Throughout the 12th and 13th centuries - during the time of the Crusades –ceramic vessels reached Acre from: Mediterranean regions, the Levant, Europe, North Africa, and even China – reveals new research, which examined trade of ceramic vessels, conducted at the University of Haifa.

This research, conducted by Dr. Edna Stern under the direction of Prof. Michal Artzy and Dr. Adrian Boasz, examined pottery found during excavations conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority of Crusader period Acre and pottery found in shipwrecks around the Mediterranean coast. According to Dr. Stern, during these centuries, Acre – in addition to being the gateway for Christian pilgrims into the Land of Israel, was one of the busiest commercial ports in the Latin East that had commercial links to Europe, the Islamic world and the Byzantine Empire.

The study found that the majority of the ceramic wares that were imported to Acre included glazed tableware, predominantly bowls and plates. Other vessel forms that arrived in smaller numbers include containers, jars, bowls and cooking wares. 44.5% of imports arrived from the Mediterranean regions of Cyprus, Greece and Asia Minor. There were also strong commercial links with the neighbors in Syria and Lebanon where 29.3% of the imports arrived from. Western Mediterranean regions– such as France, Catalonia and Tunisia, were the source of some 3.3% of ceramic vessels and even Chinese pottery arrived in Acre - 0.2% of the imported pottery arrived from China.

According to Dr. Stern, in contrast to the notion that ceramic wares were imported to Acre and surrounding ports as luxury items, the findings of her study revealed exactly the opposite. “Pottery that arrived in Acre, and other sites around the Mediterranean Sea, did not arrive because of their high value, rather it seems that they were imported by commercial shipping companies for the long and medium term as secondary items as ‘space fillers' for the more expensive items that were shipped,” she concluded.

[blam]

Thanks to Pharmboy for the article.

[blam]

GGG Ping.

[blam]

[sinanju]

I thought you said ANCIENT Israel.

No surprises here, The Silk Road had been in operation for over a millenium by this time.

[sinanju]

Nice dishes, history aside.

The Pottery Barn should recreate them.

[668 - Neighbor of the Beast]

Medieval is the new ancient.

[martin_fierro]

"For that silk you paid such a price? Oy, I should plotz."

[Lijahsbubbe]

bookmark

[billorites]

Kosher Chinese's always been big.

[ClearCase_guy]

FWIW, Acre fell to the Muslims in 1291. Marco Polo was in China in 1271.

The pottery is a good find, but not exactly ground-breaking.

[spanalot]

The history of Acco during this time is one of occupation by Europe during the Crusades - their castles dot the area after chasing out the arabs. The Arabs then chased out the Crusaders.

Was trade with Israel, the Crusaders, the Arabs, or all?

[Nevadan]

re: Medieval is the new ancient.

Thanks for the clarification!

[norton]

"...secondary items as ‘space fillers' for the more expensive items that were shipped..."

I thought pottery was commonly used as ballast, then sold off and replaced with similarly heavy goods, or just rocks.

Also, .2% Chinese origins does not sound like a lot of trade.

[PzLdr]

Goods from China funneled through the Middle East in Roman times [Petra], and various other trading centers. So it’s no surprise Chinese goods made it to Israel, and probably did so before the 12th and 13th centuries.

During the 12th century, there was a major movement into the Middle East by Islamicized Turks, including the Seljuks, which allowed [in the broadest sense of the phrase] a unified polity between the Chinese and the West capable of expediting trade.

The Mongols controlled most of the Silk Road by 1225, when they sealed the deal on the Khwaresm Empire. That gave goods from northern China easier access to the west [the Mongols finished off the Chin by 1234] than even the religiously related but tribally different Turks.

Hulegu invaded the Abassid Caliphate in 1258. Sacked Baghdad the same year. The Mongols then invaded Syria and the Holy Land, and weren’t stopped by the Mamluks ‘til they reached Ain Jalut [1260].

A subsequent Il-Khan temporarily occupied Jerusalem.

[UCANSEE2]

“Medieval is the new ancient.”

So, is the wild-west now considered the Medieval?

[pgkdan]

The fact that China was trading with Medeival Europe and the Middle East is not news. The title said Ancient Israel, to me that would mean BC. That would be news.

[massgopguy]

“Someday a Savior will be born, and you will eat in our restaurants on his birthday.”

[SunkenCiv]

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[Grimmy]

I thought the new Medieval took place in the basements below pawn shops?

[TaMoDee]

Pottery was probably on the low end of the ship list overland via the camel truck service then used on the “Silk Road”. A bolt of silk was worth it’s weight in gold at the far end in Europe.
The secret of the glaze that was used by the Chinese was more important since then the pottery itself was irrelevant. The Dutch had a lot to do with this but my knowledge is shakey. I'll let another Freeper take over.