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People have been investing for a very long time. What is investing? There is evidence that people were using metals in the ancient city of Catal Huyuk (modern day Turkey) around 8000 years ago. The metal objects found, were used for decorative purposes such as worn on clothing by ancient people. It is conceivable that in the making of metal objects, at that time, someone would trade something he had of value for something he needed to produce these metal collectables. Any trading, including for transport, if there was something to gain, would be investing.

Trading, which involves investing, would surely have happened in the earliest, thickly settled spots. Jericho, located a few miles west of the Jordan River, grew to city status by 7000 BCE. The first long distance trading was between Mesopotamia and Indus Valley in Pakistan about 3000 BC. Between 2500 BC and 2000 BC the people of Sumer in Mesopotamia developed the ancient Sumerian cuneiform script into signs with phonetic value, which made possible business records and documents.

From those early times, investing grew, and the more significant investing would be associated with wealthy empires, nations and eventually companies and corporations. By the second millennium BC, Cyprus exported vast amounts of copper, and Phoenicia exported cedar wood and linen dyes. China produced jade, spices and later profited from silk.

During the Crusades the center of trade passed from Constantinople to Venice. The 15th and 16th centuries saw the Portuguese and Spanish dominating trade. In 1606 a Dutch company issued a stock certificate which is still preserved today. Then around 1800, the bulk of trading was handled in England.

By 1790, Alexander Hamilton was deeply involved with U.S. government financing and encouraged the idea of trading government debt securities, which began literally, on the street corner of Wall Street and Broad Street. Soon, stocks were added to the trading list, the corner became crowed, and the procedure moved indoors to 40 Wall Street. The New York Stock & Exchange Board was created in 1817, later to become The NYSE.

Investing has always been interesting, exciting and precarious. Overall, even successful investors seem to think that past performance is not the best indicator of the future, nor tells where to outlay capital. The search for the best method, attracts the attention of many people. Generally, people who invest, find a method that works at least once, and they continue to practice the method until it stops working. It is important to remember that investing in true cultural values will always ultimately produce wealth. Today stock trading and other investments in America is heavier by far than any place else.

Learn more about this author, Alan Carvalho.
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