SocietyNorth Africa
The trans-Saharan caravans
Salt south, gold north, and Islam along for the ride
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At its height two thirds of the gold in the Mediterranean came from West Africa, and European coins were struck from it. The trade also carried enslaved people, on a scale considerable over the centuries but often overlooked in European histories in favour of the Atlantic trade. The routes withered once the Portuguese began sailing directly to the coast.
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Caravans of thousands of camels crossed the desert with blocks of salt from the north and returned with gold. The trade made the cities of the Sahel rich — and brought Islam to West Africa, not by conquest but through merchants.
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Part of Terra Saga — the story of Earth on a timeline. terrasaga.org