1. Ghana: a west africa trading empire

2. North • Salt • Copper • Cowrie Shells • West • Kola nuts • Hides – leather goods • Ivory • Slaves • Gold Trade from north to west

3. Sea snails • Uses • Currency • Ceremonial • Status symbol • Fertility Cowrie Shells

4. Uses • Ceremonial • “cure hunger” • Replacement for alcohol in Islamic culture • Treat whopping cough and asthma • Pepsi and Coke! Kola nut

5. Camels • 25 gallons of water at one time • Double row of eyelashes and hairy ear openings • Spread of Islam • Invaded Ghana in 7th century (lost) • Many settled as traders Growth of trade

7. Trade routes

8. Gold in Wangara (south of Ghana) Salt in Sahara Ghana made most $$ Trade

9. Gold mines • Needed for trade w/ China • Secrecy of mines more important than life Secrets of the wangarans

10. Salt more precious than gold • Why? • Sweat -> loss of sodium • Preserve meat • Good taste Taghaza

11. 1. Water put in holes in salty earth • 2. Water drew out Salt • 3. Sun evaporated water • Or… • Mining • Miners (slaves owned by Arabs) • 3ft below surface How’s salt made?

12. Paid when they entered and left city • 1/6 ounce of gold – incoming salt load • 1/3 ounce of gold – exiting with salt load • Paid for other goods too. • Why Pay? • Protection Taxes in ghana

13. Silent barter Along river in southern forest 1. Northerns put out goods, beat drum, then left 2. Wangarans left gold offering beat drum then left 3. If offer was okay northerners took it and left, if not they left and waited for better offer Trade?

14. What happened? End of ghana