Archaeologists at the ancient Sumerian city of Eridu in Iraq have unearthed a cache of cuneiform tablets dating to approximately 2000 BCE. The tablets detail a sophisticated maritime insurance agreement between the temple administration of Eridu and a guild of merchants from Meluhha (the Indus-Saraswati Civilization).
The treaty specifies compensation in silver and grain for cargoes of carnelian and lapis lazuli lost at sea due to storms or piracy. This find proves that ancient global trade was governed by complex legal frameworks and that Indian merchants were integral to the earliest international financial systems.