Trade has been bringing people together since the dawn of civilisation. It was initially a barter arrangement, where one possession was swapped for another; soon, however, goods were exchanged for currencies such as cowry shells, metal tools or cows, and by around 700 BC, coins began to be fashioned out of metals. When people come together for the purpose of trade, a market is created and, as these images from the Royal Geographical Society archives show, these areas create commercial hubs that bring together producers, buyers and dealers, who often end up trading ideas as well as commodities