The storied histories along the Iranian plateau and its central location for trade between the eastern and western civilizations of mankind has made Persian turquoise famous, It has gained the reputation for being the finest turquoise, and in some parts of the world that was then known as Persia was also considered the first and therefore oldest turquoise mining area. From 3400 BC, overland trade routes existed between Iran, Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley, Afghanistan, and later China. Mesopotamia had few mineral resources, but the Iranian high lands had supplies of marble, steatite, chlorite, turquoise, and copper.