Ancient Somali city-states
The most prominent cities of the Old World from the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea. | |
| Geographical range | Greater Somalia |
|---|---|
| Period | Classical Antiquity |
| Dates | c. 300BC–600AD |
| Preceded by | Macrobia |
| Followed by | Barbaria |
In antiquity, ancestors of the Somali people were an important link in the Horn of Africa connecting the region's commerce with the rest of the old world. Proto-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. During the classical era, several ancient Somali city-states competed with the Sabaeans, Parthians and Axumites for the wealthy Indo-Greco-Roman trade.