Long-Distance Travel and Trading in the Bronze Age: The East Mediterranean-Scandinavia Case

Abstract

Bronze was imported to Scandinavia from the East Mediterranean. This trading started about 1750 BC. At just the same time amber from the Baltic started to appear in Mycenaean and Minoan graves. This gives evidence of active trading between the Mediterranean and Scandinavia. The sudden appearance of picture of large ships cut into bedrock surfaces and blocks at about the same time suggests that this trading took place via visitors arriving by ships. The size of the ships seems to preclude a stepwise transfer via the river systems between the Black Sea and the Baltic, but rather a travel over the Atlantic Sea. This calls for sea-worthy ships and knowledge in geography. In the Bronze Age, only the Mycenaean, Minoan and Phoenician cultures had such ships and such skill. Reaching this far north by 1750 BC in ships following the Atlantic coast of Europe implies that those people may as well have reached much further to the south and the west than previously assumed.

A Golden Calendar from the Bronze Age

“…Significantly, amber started to occur in great quantities in Mycenaean and Minoan tombs from about 1600 BC Mörner & Lind, 2015). Three omega signs occur in southern Sweden (Mörner & Lind, 2015). Obviously, they must owe their origin to Ancient Greece.…”

“…In a number of papers, we have shown that people from the Eastern Mediterranean region established a trading centre in southeast Sweden ( Figure 1, site 5) in about 1750 BC , 2013, 2015. They brought bronze into Sweden, initiating the Scandinavian Bronze Age (Mörner & Lind, 2015). The proposed trading centre in the Ravlunda-Kivik area is just where yellow amber was accessible in large quantities (Figure 1, site 5).…”

“…The proposed trading centre in the Ravlunda-Kivik area is just where yellow amber was accessible in large quantities (Figure 1, site 5). Significantly, amber started to occur in great quantities in Mycenaean and Minoan tombs from about 1600 BC Mörner & Lind, 2015). Three omega signs occur in southern Sweden (Mörner & Lind, 2015).…”

“…In 1984, an ancient cargo ship was found at Ulu Burun off the Turkish coast (Figure 1, site 10) (Pulak, 1998;Mörner & Lind, 2015). The ship is dated at 1315 BC.…”

“…It had an interesting cargo from a variety of origins; viz 10 tons of copper from Cyprus, 1 ton of tin of uncertain origin, glass from Mycenae, ceramics from Cyprus, jewels from Egypt, perfume in Canaanite jars, and amber in large quantities from the south Baltic coasts. Indeed, evidence of long-distance travel and trading (Mörner & Lind, 2015).…”