Exchange networks of the Early Bronze Age Gulf: The imported ceramics from Kalba 4 (United Arab Emirates)

A shift in long-distance exchange networks from Mesopotamia to the Indus Valley occurred around 2500 BCE, with Kalba 4 (United Arab Emirates) emerging as a key hub for Mesopotamian trade during the Late Akkadian period. This finding is supported by a typological analysis of imported ceramics at the site, which reveals complex multidirectional exchange patterns involving southern Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley (Meluhha), southeast Iran (Marhashi), and Bahrain (Dilmun). The study suggests that socioeconomic changes during the Hafit and Umm an-Nar periods were driven by external demand for copper, while disruptions to trade networks at the end of the Umm an-Nar period may have accelerated shifts in exchange directions. Additionally, state-organized textile production in Mesopotamia for export to the lower Gulf is highlighted as a significant factor in regional dynamics.

Eddisford, D. (2022). Exchange networks of the Early Bronze Age Gulf: The imported ceramics from Kalba 4 (United Arab Emirates). Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy, 33(1), 23–48. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/aae.12208