While it may look like snow, it is not. This precious commodity is salt!
14
e it may look like snow, it is his precious commodity is salt!
-
Upload
leon-nicholson -
Category
Documents
-
view
214 -
download
0
Transcript of While it may look like snow, it is not. This precious commodity is salt!
While it may look like snow, it is not.This precious commodity is salt!
And you may not believe this but thehuman body needs salt.
Salt is needed by the human bodyto help muscles and nerves to
work and to regulate blood pressure.
If the human bodygoes for a long
period of time withoutsalt, it will die.
As agriculture developed, salt becamemore important. Farmers ate less meat than hunters and gatherers. Therefore, they needed more salt.
Africa washome to
many greatkingdomsprior to the
arrival of theEuropeans.
A series ofpowerfultrading
kingdomsemergedin WestAfrica.
The WestAfrican
kingdomscontrolledimportant
trade routesthat connected
North Africaand West Africa.
North Africa was rich in the salt thatWest Africa lacked. West Africa was
rich in gold. The Trans-Saharan trade led to an exchange of salt for
gold.
Ghana was called the “land of gold”but it did not have gold. Instead,
the trade routes passed through Ghanaand the kings of Ghana taxed allentering and exiting the kingdom.
The kingdomof Ghanaemerged
as early as500 A.D. Itcollapsed in
the 11th century.
The kings of Ghana used their wealthto build a powerful army and keep
the peace within their empire.
Religious Muslims invaded anddestroyed Ghana in the 1100s
but another West African kingdomrose to power to protect
the valuable Salt for Gold Trade.
The Big Eight• Why is salt essential for human beings?• What did West Africa lack?• What did North Africa possess?• Describe the Trans-Saharan Trade.• Which was the first powerful West African
kingdom?• Why was Ghana called the “land of gold” if
it had no gold?• How did Ghana use its wealth?• What led to the decline of Ghana?
