Trans-Saharan Trade
12th Grade · Social Studies · 59 min
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Learning Objective
I can analyze the economic and cultural impacts of the Trans-Saharan trade routes.
- 1
In ancient West Africa, salt was a precious commodity, sometimes literally worth its weight in gold, and traded for goods like ivory, hides, and copper.
- 2
The Berbers of North Africa used camel caravans to transport salt across the Sahara Desert, acting as middlemen between North and West Africa.
- 3
Empires like the Ghana, Mali, and Songhai Empires controlled the salt trade, with mines like Taghaza and Taoudenni being major sources of salt.
