page_title: History of banking
section_title: Record-keeping
hierarchical_section_title: History of banking / Ancient authority / Record-keeping
caption_attribution_description: English: Annual balance sheet of a State-owned farm, drawn-up by the scribe responsible for artisans: detailed account of raw materials and workdays for a basketry workshop. Clay, ca. 2040 BC (Ur&#160;III). Français&#160;: Bilan annuel d'une exploitation agricole d'État, établie par le scribe des artisans&#160;: décompte des matières premières et des jours de travail utilisés dans un atelier de vannerie. Argile, v. 2040 av. J.-C. (Ur&#160;III).
context_page_description: The history of banking began with the first prototype banks which were the merchants of the world, who gave grain loans to farmers and traders who carried goods between cities. This was around 2000 BC in Assyria, India and Sumeria. Later, in ancient Greece and during the Roman Empire, lenders based in temples gave loans, while accepting deposits and performing the change of money. Archaeology from this period in ancient China and India also shows evidence of money lending.
  Many histories position the crucial historical development of a banking system to medieval and Renaissance Italy and particularly the affluent cities of Florence, Venice and Genoa. The Bardi and Peruzzi Families dominated banking in 14th century Florence, establishing branches in many other parts of Europe. The most famous Italian bank was the Medici bank, established by Giovanni Medici in 1397. The oldest bank still in existence is Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena, headquartered in Siena, Italy, which has been operating continuously since 1472.
  Development of banking spread from northern Italy throughout the Holy Roman Empire, and in the 15th and 16th century to northern Europe.
context_section_description: Objects used for record keeping, "bulla"   and tokens,  have been recovered from within Near East excavations, dated to a period beginning 8000 BCE and ending 1500 BCE, as records of the counting of agricultural produce.  Commencing in the late fourth millennia mnemonic symbols were in use by members of temples and palaces to serve to record stocks of produce.  Types of records accounting for trade exchanges of payments were being made firstly about 3200.  A very early writing on clay tablet called the Code of Hammurabi, refers to the regulation of a banking activity of sorts within the civilization (Armstrong)  of an era which dates to ca. 1700 BCE, banking was well enough developed to justify laws governing banking operations. Later during the Achaemenid Empire (after 646 BCE, further evidence is found of banking practices in the Mesopotamia region.
caption: Detailed account of raw materials and workdays for a basketry workshop. Clay, ca. 2040 BC (Ur III)
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