Camel caravans from North Africa carried bars of salt as well as cloth, tobacco, and metal tools across the Sahara to trading centers like Djenne and Timbuktu on the Niger River. Some items for which the salt was traded include gold, ivory, slaves, skins, kola nuts, pepper, and sugar.

When was the salt and gold trade?

The Trans-Saharan Gold Trade (7th–14th Century) Around the fifth century, thanks to the availability of the camel, Berber-speaking people began crossing the Sahara Desert.

Is salt worth its weight in gold?

The most common exchange was salt for gold dust that came from the mines of southern West Africa. Indeed, salt was such a precious commodity that it was quite literally worth its weight in gold in some parts of West Africa.

When was salt worth its weight in gold?

During Roman times, salt was worth its weight in gold and soldiers were sometimes paid in salt, hence the word “salary”

Was salt more expensive than gold?

Recorded history also soundly refutes the myth that salt was more valuable than gold. YouTube historian Lindybeige cites Venetian trade documents from the height of the salt trade in 1590 that establish the value of 1 ton of salt as 33 gold ducats.

What was the importance of the gold and salt trade?

West African kingdoms, such as the Soninke empire of Ghana and the empire of Mali that succeeded it, were rich in gold but lacked salt, a commodity that countries around the Mediterranean had in plenty.

What was the Silk Road and the African gold-salt trade?

The Silk Road and The African Gold-Salt Trade By Michael Mudd. West Africa had access to an abundance of gold but had almost no salt. On the other hand North Africa had lots and lots of salt. Once they found out about each other trade for gold and salt was booming.

How was salt traded in the medieval period?

In West Africa during the Medieval period, salt was traded for gold. This may seem astonishing as salt is a cheap commodity in today’s society. It may be added that salt is easily available today which was not the case in ancient times.

Where was the salt trade in the Sahara?

Saharan salt trade routes circa 1400 with the modern territory of Niger highlighted. Lastly, it may be said that although salt has long lost its status as a highly prized trade commodity, salt mining is still carried out in the Sahara and continues to be a way of life for some of the desert’s inhabitants.