 The most prominent cities of the Old World from the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea. | |
| Geographical range | Somalia, Djibouti |
|---|---|
| Dates | c. 1–800AD |
In antiquity, the ancestors of the Somali people were an important link in the Horn of Africa connecting the region's commerce with the rest of the ancient world. Somali sailors and merchants were the main suppliers of frankincense, myrrh and spices, items which were considered valuable luxuries by the Ancient Egyptians, Phoenicians, Mycenaeans and Babylonians.[1][2] During the classical era, several ancient city-states competed with the Sabaeans, Parthians and Axumites for the wealthy Indo-Greco-Roman trade.
The Somali city-states on the northern Somali coast have been active since the late bronze ge until Islamic period with evidence of the ancient city-state of Mosylon. According to historical records, the Egyptian Pharaoh Sesostris led his forces to mosylon and passed the Port of Isis. The ancient local commercial center of the Port of Isis is believed to correspond with the town of Bulhar, situated near Zeila. The port of Mosylon is identified in modern-day Bosaso city in the northeast of Somalia. This is the region from which the Pharaohs launched their ships to obtain precious goods from the Bari region of punt-land state which is home to valued items such as incense, frankincense, myrrh, and rare animals and birds, used to trade with the Kush Kingdom of Nubia and ancient Egypt in antiquity.
Additionally, Pliny indicated that the Port of Isis was located near stone pillars on which unknown letters were engraved. Samuel Sharpe suggests that these old inscriptions were probably hieroglyphical. Ruins of tumuli and pyramid structures are today found in the vicinity of the city, which was part of the classical era Somali city-state under the regional name Barbario. Meanwhile, Bulhar, known as the Port of Isis, existed long before the classical era, reaching its peak and largest trade activity during the classical era. The Somali city-state was preceded by the Kingdom of Macrobia, which had its center at Opone, located in the modern-day Hafun Peninsula. This is suggested by Agarwal, an Indian scholar who has been studying the Macrobian civilization and its history, placing it in Somalia. After the fall of the Macrobian Empire, the Somali city-state was formed. Various cities flourished during the Late Iron Age and early Classical era, with the greatest cities being Opone and Mosylon, which were heavily involved in trade with ancient Egypt, as noted by Herodotus.