Trade in Mesopotamia from the early dynastic period to the early Achaemenid period with emphasis on the finance of such trade
Hay, Francis Anthony Mirko
This dissertation considered trade and trade finance in Mesopotamia over a
period of 2000 years commencing with Sumeria and ending with Achaemenid
Persia, taking in Ur III and Assyria. A range of financial instruments was
selected together with important business transactions, for instance,
agricultural finance, specifically the brewing industry and the working capital
requirements of merchants and money lenders. The role of women in private
enterprise was examined, including their role in retail finance. The great
estates of temple and palace had a substantial impact on finance and trade
throughout the periods. Their interaction with merchants and money lenders
was important to the study. I used reductionism to facilitate analysis of
complex products highlighting the essentials of finance namely, borrowing,
lending and return. The study concludes that, during the era under
consideration, the evolution and enhancement of the financial instruments and
products developed in self-generated, incremental and progressive steps.
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