Late Upper Paleolithic sites (roughly 45,000–30,000 years ago) show materials like obsidian, shell, and flint carried 200–800 kilometers from their geological source. At Kharganyn Gol in Mongolia, mica ornaments were confirmed to have traveled over 500 kilometers. Researchers argue this reflects an organized exchange network between distinct groups, not accidental wandering. In Greek myth, Hermes was the cunning god of commerce and travelers, brokering deals and messages among the gods; in Chinese folk belief, the warrior Guan Yu is worshipped as a god of wealth precisely because his unwavering faithfulness came to symbolize trust between merchants. Trade was never just barter — it was the beginning of trusting someone you had never met.