Daily History Challenge · No. 74 · Thursday 10 September 2026 · Chain
Puzzle No. 74: Chain
The anchor was Meluhha: Indus Trade with Akkadian Mesopotamia (2400 BCE). Every challenger is listed below with its year.
The anchor
By the late third millennium BCE the Indus Valley conducted flourishing long-distance maritime trade with Mesopotamia, where it is generally identified as the land of 'Meluhha'. Sargon of Akkad (c. 2334-2284 BCE) boasted that ships from Meluhha, Magan and Dilmun docked at his capital Akkad. The Indus exported carnelian beads, ivory, timber, gold and other exotic goods; characteristic square Indus stamp seals and etched carnelian beads have been excavated at Ur and other Mesopotamian cities. Mesopotamian records even mention Meluhhan merchants, interpreters and settled 'Meluhha villages', evidence of a resident expatriate trading community. Much commerce passed through the Gulf intermediaries of Dilmun (Bahrain) and Magan (Oman). This exchange network linked two of the world's first urban civilisations across the Arabian Sea and demonstrates the reach and commercial sophistication of the Harappan economy.
The 10 challengers, in order of date
After Meluhha: Indus Trade with Akkadian Mesopotamia
After Meluhha: Indus Trade with Akkadian Mesopotamia
After Meluhha: Indus Trade with Akkadian Mesopotamia
After Meluhha: Indus Trade with Akkadian Mesopotamia
After Meluhha: Indus Trade with Akkadian Mesopotamia
After Meluhha: Indus Trade with Akkadian Mesopotamia
After Meluhha: Indus Trade with Akkadian Mesopotamia
After Meluhha: Indus Trade with Akkadian Mesopotamia
After Meluhha: Indus Trade with Akkadian Mesopotamia
After Meluhha: Indus Trade with Akkadian Mesopotamia