When did people first begin to trade in southwest Asia?

Archaeological evidence indicates that the first trade networks in Southwest Asia emerged during the Neolithic period, around 9000-7000 BC. These early trading activities involved the exchange of obsidian and other raw materials, as well as agricultural products and livestock. As settled communities developed and grew in the region, the nature and volume of trade also increased. By the 4th millennium BC, long-distance trade networks had been established, connecting Southwest Asia with regions as distant as Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Central Asia.