The Day in the Life of a Bronzes Age Trader

Emma 7a

The sun was rising as Samuel and his two oldest boys were loading their cart.  Into it went, bronze pots, pans, cutlery, tools and other small items that they would take to the market to trade.  Samuel was a bronze tool maker.  Every week Samuel and his boys worked all day making bronze cooking tools.  At the end of the week, they rode to the nearest village to trade their goods at the weekly market.  Mainly Samuel would trade for food and clothing the family needed but also for coins. 

It was the middle of winter, very windy and it looked as if it might snow as Samuel and his boys set off.   Today the journey took much longer than usual because of the cold and wind and they arrived late.  There were only four more hours to trade all of their merchandise.   After setting up the stall, Samuel left the boys to make a delivery to another trader.  The previous week, Samuel had made a deal with the shoemaker to trade a set of spoons for a new pair for shoes for his youngest daughter who was just beginning to walk.   Due to the time of year, there were fewer people than usual in the market which worried Samuel since he needed to make several trades.   After picking up the shoes, Samuel went back to his stall to check on his sons who had not had much business yet.   He needed to get wheat, vegetables, and sugar for the week, after that he would concentrate on selling or trading all the bronze items they brought.

Samuel always used the same traders each week.  He went to see Francis first to get his wheat and sugar.  Since he was in a rush this week, Samuel paid with coins instead of trading with Francis which usually took a long time.  They were friends and he got a good price.  Next he went to the vegetable market, where he traded small bronze items like hairpins and buttons for onions, potatoes, and carrots.  Since it was wintertime there wasn’t a wide variety of goods.  Back at the stall, he found that the boys had made several goods trades.  They traded a set of pots for two new fur hides and a chicken and many small tools for two dozen eggs, some butter, and coins.  Samuel was satisfied and proud of the boy’s trades.  As they were loading the cart, when it started to snow softly and they set off for home as fast as they could.  They may it back just before dark.  They were lucky because that night there was a dreadful blizzard.  The family was grateful for all the items their dad and brothers had traded for at the market.  They were proud that their dad was a bronze tool maker and looked forward to the next market day.