Kushite Trading
During the Middle Kingdom, Kush was flying high. It was the center of a large trade network, which contributed to its success and wealth. Kush's top trading partner was Egypt, although they did trade from other countries, like Phoenicia and Lebanon. Kush exported many valuable items, such as gold, ebony, precious stones, silver, brass, and iron. In addition to the metals, Kush was the only empire, besides India, that could export elephants and tusks made from ivory. Kushite artwork showed exports of gold, ivory, ebony, ostrich feathers, doam, palm fruit, and exotic products like giraffes. Frescos in a greek temple showed Kush trading antelopes and monkeys. The traders often came back with good hauls in return for the material. The main import from Egypt was bronze. From Lebanon came oil, which was highly valued, and cedar wood. Cedar wood was used to make temples, such as the Amon Temple at Kawa. Imported cedar wood and acacia wood came from a region called Phoenicia. Kush's central location, in modern Sudan, helped it to trade with many other countries. The empire was also upriver from Egypt, their number one partner. Kush's progress in trading raised its economy as well. Their army grew stronger, due to the money for weapons and the newfound metals. The government gained branches and governors, as they could pay each worker equally. The only problem was Egypt. They noticed Kush's prosperity and strong army, and started to worry. The Egyptians prepared an attack on Kush and defeated them. After Egypt's decline, the Kushites built a new empire and started again.