A Day in the Life of a Bronze Age Trader

 I am a male trader in Ur, Mesopotamia, next to the Euphrates River, 3500 B.C. I come from a city where bronze is already being used in many everyday objects - weapons, tools, helmets, shields etc - and it has truly helped everyone. In this city where I hope to sell my goods, bronze is still quite rare, so it will take some convincing to make people buy.

 Bronze is not the only type of good I have in my horse-drawn cart. I have beautiful cloth, pottery,

knives, baskets and spices. I hope to receive food in return.

 I ride through the city gates at around midday, and find my way to a crowded square. Expertly I set up my stand and begin to call out.

 “Goods! Come here to buy goods! Here you will find the finest cloth in Iraq, as well as baskets and pots! Come her for cloth, baskets and pots! And best of all, buy bronze!! Bronze is durable, and can be used to make weapons, tools, helmets, shields, knives...”

 People have started to crowd around. Other merchants, calling out similar advertisements, glare and shout as I attract their potential customers with the mysterious bronze.

 I am surrounded with questions.

 “What is this, then?”

 “We don’t need that, we’ve got copper!”

 “How much is it?”

I have prepared my speech on the way here, so I start to explain in a loud voice:

 “Bronze is better than copper!”

This gets their attention, and the customers start to quiet down.

 “Bronze is more beautiful, more durable, more long-lasting, harder than copper. See my knife!”

I hold up my beautiful bronze knife, decorated with intricate patterns on the handle and a dangerously sharp blade. Many gasp, others begin to whisper to each other. I know how to awe an audience, so I continue in a lower voice.

 “This weapon will probably last years and years, because it is so much harder than copper. These,” I say as I hold up a shield and helmet, “will protect you in battle. See how beautiful they are, too. You should be proud to own these magnificent objects.”

 The crowd starts to get excited.

 “I’ll take the knife!”

 I smile. “What can you give me?”

 “Do you agree to trade it for two pigs?”

 “Three.”

 “Done.”

That marks the beginning of my long day, and many more objects are sold. People especially like the cloth from my city, and are still awed by the amazing metal. It was a good day!