Trade and Commerce

Canaan was a land bridge that tied major empires together. Merchants and armies crossed its territory to interact with distant polities. Extensive trade routes through its lands made Canaan a corridor of commerce that connected major cities from Mesopotamia to Egypt. Sea routes extended Canaan's international impact, and Canaanites undoubtedly traded grains, olive oil, and pottery for copper from Cyprus, tin from Anatolia and Afghanistan, and luxury ceramic wares from Cyprus and Greece. Using archaeological evidence, researchers can trace the extent of Canaan's economic influence and reconstruct major routes overland and by sea.

Some luxury ceramic wares from Cyprus include milk bowls, Bucchero ware pitchers, Bilbils, “white-shaved” dipper juglets, and Mycenaean wares.