Africas ancient past is intricately related to the ancient Near East. This is especially true in Nubia and ancient Egypt. The Kingdom of Aksum ruled over what is now Eritrea, northern Ethiopia, and the western coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Horn of Africa. In 2,350 BC, the Ancient Egyptians established contact with the Land of Punt. Punt, a trading partner of Ancient Egypt, is thought to have been in what is now either Somalia, Djibouti, or Eritrea. Classical antiquity and the Mediterranean Iron Age both included Phoenician cities like Carthage. At that time, Sub-Saharan Africa saw more or less independent development.