Published in: Martin Bentz – Michael Heinzelmann (Eds.), Sessions 4 – 5, Single Contributions. Archaeology and Economy in the Ancient World 54 (Heidelberg, Propylaeum 2023) 67–76. DOI: htps://doi.org/10.11588/propylaeum.1005.c13473 Cyrenaica and the Neighbours: Evidence of Trade and Absence of Evidence Kristian Göransson Introduction Several Greek cities along the Cyrenaican coast, such as Apollonia, Taucheira and Euesperides, fourished as important nodes in long-distance maritime trade with the rest of the Greek world. But what were the commercial contacts with the Cyrenaican cities’ immediate neighbours, Tripolitania and Egypt, like? Excavations in Cyrenaica have yielded a fair amount of Punic material but what about Egypt? Did Cyrenaica import commodities from Egypt, and if so what was such a trade made up of? How did the markets operate and what might have been traded in return from Cyrenaica to its eastern and western neighbours? Tis paper aims at investigating the sources – texts as well as archaeology – available from the Archaic to the Hellenistic period in an atempt to answer these questions. Te period studied ranges from the Archaic to the Hellenistic period with a focus on the 4 th and 3 rd centuries BC. It will, admitedly, be a sketchy over- view with selected examples of evidence of trade, but I hope to be able to raise some questions for discussion and points of departure for future research. Te current political situation in Libya has sadly made feldwork come almost to a complete halt. Te archaeological evidence on which this article is based comes to a disproportionate extent from the excavations of the westernmost of the Greek cities in Cyrenaica, Euesperides (Benghazi). Te excavations were conducted between 1999 and 2007 by the Society for Libyan Studies, under the direction of Andrew Wilson, Paul Bennet and Ahmed Buzaian. Preliminary reports were published every year in Libyan Studies,1 and two doctoral theses were writen based on the substantial quantifed pot- tery assemblage from the site.2 Terefore a lot is known about the economic life of this city thanks to a much more detailed analysis of relative proportions of diferent kinds of imported and locally produced potery than what has been done elsewhere in the region. Background To set the scene very briefy, Cyrene was founded by Greeks from Tera on an plateau of the Jebel Akhdar, 25 km from the sea, and this event is traditionally dated to 631 BC.3 Te city was a kingdom ruled by the Batiad dynasty, named afer the oikistes, king Batus I. Later in the seventh and early sixth centuries other Greek setlements were founded throughout Cyrenaica: Taucheira, Euesperides and Barce. Excellent arable land on the plains around Cyrene and Barce made Cyrenaica a major producer and exporter