Alabastrons are pots made by the Greeks. Made to hold precious oils and perfumes. The pot has a long slender neck and a round base, requiring a stand or a support to stand upright.
Papyrus is a reed with a stem and pith used to make sandals and rough paper, which resembles our paper today. Papyrus reeds are found on the bank of the Nile River. Papyrus paper originated in Egypt. The Egyptians also used papyrus to make mats and roofs of sheds.
Trading items over sea was very dangerous because navigation was directed by the stars. This strategy had many flaws. Sea travel was also dangerous because pirates captured the sailors and sold them as slaves in remote islands.
The Greeks began copying the idea of having coins from Lydia. Each city-state had their own issue of coins. As a result, there are different looking Greek coins. At first, the Greeks thought coins were too valuable to use in everyday marketplace. Later coins made out of bronze or cheap metal were used in daily shopping. Some people were very dishonest and would secretly cut off a few gold or silver pieces of it before actually using the coin. Officials would put a picture on the coin to know when someone had shaved the face of the coin.
