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https://thehistoryofancientmesopotamia.weebly.com/economics.html

https://topwritingservice.com/essays/ancient-mesopotamian-economy/

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https://youtu.be/x44xjFoctMw
https://youtu.be/ILc8RoyDZCA
https://youtu.be/RR6NBv8HS10
https://youtu.be/KY05g30v2Xo

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Cereals were indeed exported. These were too bulky for donkey transport over long distances. Some imported material from elsewhere was again exported. Tin was exported to Anatolia; a major center of metal industry, where in extensive forests, wood was abundantly available to fuel the furnaces. Other products that were sold included dates, sesame oil and in particular craft materials. Babylonia had an extensive wool industry. On the other hand, silver and gold were imported from Anatolia.

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Minerals such as copper, tin, silver, etc. were only available in remote parts of the area. Trade was performed in a professional, capitalistic way, barter by boat over the Euphrates and the Persian Gulf and with regular caravans by donkeys to Anatolia.

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There was a time when the land lack stone. This signaled the end of the Stone Age. Timber and stone are needed in the construction of buildings. Metals also were increasingly important.

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Basket weavers were also an important part of Sumerian life. Baskets were used by Sumerians for many purposes including carrying food and goods from one place to another, storing items in houses and for holding infants as they slept.

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Hides or skins from different animals were used by leather workers to make fashion harnesses, saddles, shoes, and water bags.

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Carpentry was also extremely important. Wood was imported to make furniture, carts, boats, and chariots. The guffa boat was made with reeds and covered with skin and the kauphar was made of bundles of reeds, waterproofed with bitumen.

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Craftsmanship is a very important aspect of the Mesopotamian economy. The most important craftsmen were the copper and bronze workers. These artisans were responsible for making most of the tools that farmers, shepherds, soldiers, and other workers needed for survival. Hoes, axes, and plows, as well as knives, daggers, and spears were made from copper and bronze, which were plentiful and easy to work with.

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Artisans, scribes, priests, local administrators, and teachers were all employed by the temple. They gained their economic strength based on their vast real estate holdings. They were the largest single land owner in the city-state. The ownership of land was so valued that even kings had to buy land. People of all classes had the opportunity to own land. However, many of the people who were considered poor by Sumerian standards owned houses, gardens, and fishery ponds.

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In Mesopotamia civilizations, the materials and the goods were carried by humans and animals with the help of instruments such as sled, cart and boat. Boat transportation was very convenient and economic because docks were built along the sides of rivers, so that boats could easily dock and unload their trade goods.

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Money was usually in the form of small silver disks called shekels, made from gold, silver and copper.

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The rivers made transport of goods easy and economical. The strong current of the rivers allowed the boats to move downstream. Falx was grown in the river and woven into cloth. Wool  and wool cloth was  important for trade while wood was used for ships and furniture.

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They traded grain, oils and textiles from other countries in exchange for timber, wine, precious metals and stones. Although there was a monetary value placed on grain and silver as an exchange rate for goods and services, having a constant food supply allowed the Mesopotamians to increase their economic endeavors in trade and commerce.

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The Mesopotamians were primarily farmers, growing crops such as barley, wheat, millet, and sesame.