First came the assembly of local cargoes: grain, wine, fruits, and timber.69 These were traded for various products and gold in Tunisian ports and for spices and gold in Egypt. Then on to Byzantium, where the gold was used to obtain various Eastern luxury products and especially religious goods such as vestments, altar cloths, and incense.70 Returning to Amalfi, traders sold these goods in order to buy more local products and to launch new voyages.
