Question

Explain the tran-Saharan gold and salt trade in detail. 1. Describe who the traders were and anyone else that was involved. 2. Discuss what they traded. 3. Explain how they conducted the trade.

Answer 1

The correct answer to this open question is the following.

The Trans-Saharan gold and salt trade

The traders were merchants of the North and West African region that traveled in caravans, using the camel to transport people and goods across the dangers of the Sahara Desert. Akan people were involved in the trade, as well as many other tribes.

Of course, they traded salt and gold, which were the most precious resources of the time for the value they represented. Gold was a precious rock with high value, and salt was as important as gold because people used to preserve food. But they also traded animal skins, ivory, silver,  sugar, pepper, and slaves.

These people conducted the trade through camel caravans across the desert, that carried the goods to important trade centers such as Timbuktu and Djenne.