Which ancient civilization pioneered the use of clay 'customer tokens' as an early form of retail market research to track popular products?

Before modern analytics and customer surveys, ancient civilizations had their own fascinating methods of gathering market insights. Merchants and rulers needed to understand consumer preferences, track popular goods, and make decisions about trade routes and inventory. This trivia explores how ancient civilizations collected and utilized 'market research' to drive their early commercial enterprises. Test your knowledge about these innovative early approaches to understanding consumer behavior!

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Mesopotamians (3000 BCE), who gave customers clay tokens to deposit in jars representing different products they wished to purchase in future market days
Ancient Egyptians (2500 BCE), who used hieroglyphic surveys on papyrus to record preferences of nobility for imported luxury goods
Roman Empire merchants (100 CE), who employed professional 'market listeners' to gather opinions in public forums and report consumer sentiments
Han Dynasty China (200 BCE), who implemented the first known statistical counting of traded goods via knotted cords to predict future market needs