One of the great surprises in Ancient Near Eastern History is the extent of commerce that existed during Early Bronze Age (c. 1880-1780 BCE.). Perhaps the best documented period of such commerce is during the Assyrian Colonial Period, when a network of trade routes connected Assyria and Babylonia to the resources of Asia Minor. That so much is known about this ancient trade is due to the diligent record keeping of the Assyrians. By studying these accounts it is possible to analyze the very foundations of commerce in the ancient world.
Karum
During this period, Assyrian merchant families would traditionally send one of their members to set up a household near an Anatolian town as a type of trading outpost. Collectively these households would set up enclaves known as Karums. These communities were actually located outside of the nearby city walls and the few that have been found have provided an abundance of archeological, as well as textual, resources.
From these uncovered records it has been determined that there were twelve Karums established in Anatolia. There was also a number of Wabaratum which were guard posts set up to protect the merchants and perhaps to offer a place for a nights rest. To date, only three of the twenty-one Karum sites attested to in the texts have been physically identified and excavated.