À partir de Vᵉ siècle av. J.-C.
Sahara, Bilad al-Sudan and western Sudan
Traduction non disponible · Original (anglais) · français indisponible
The Saharan salt trade connected salt mines in the desert with gold-producing regions of the Sudan. Salt was highly valued inland and could be exchanged for an equivalent weight of gold near the goldfields. The pages distinguish durable mined salt bars from maritime salt and identify Awlil and the Trarza salines near the Senegal River as important sources.
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Le récit
Gold was in demand in the Maghrib and Europe because it supported monetary systems, while salt was indispensable in the Sudan. The trade across the Sahara therefore brought the two commodities into direct exchange. In areas close to the goldfields, salt could be purchased for an equivalent weight of gold, illustrating the exceptional value assigned to desert salt in inland markets.
Maritime salt from the Atlantic coast could reach the interior in some places, but the hot and humid Sudanese climate made it unsuitable for distribution across vast distances. Salt bars mined in the Sahara were dry and solid, allowing them to travel without damage over long routes. Several deposits served as principal sources during different phases of the salt trade.
The pages identify the Awlil mines, associated with the Juddala and described by al-Bakri and al-Idrisi, as among the nearest sources to Bilad al-Sudan. They are located here with the Trarza salines in southern Mauritania near the Senegal River. Salt moved overland by caravan or upstream by boat toward Takrur and Silla, and onward toward the goldfields.
À partir de Vᵉ siècle av. J.-C.
Sahara, Bilad al-Sudan and western Sudan
Traduction non disponible · Original (anglais) · français indisponible
The Saharan salt trade connected salt mines in the desert with gold-producing regions of the Sudan. Salt was highly valued inland and could be exchanged for an equivalent weight of gold near the goldfields. The pages distinguish durable mined salt bars from maritime salt and identify Awlil and the Trarza salines near the Senegal River as important sources.
Poursuivre l’exploration
Le récit
Gold was in demand in the Maghrib and Europe because it supported monetary systems, while salt was indispensable in the Sudan. The trade across the Sahara therefore brought the two commodities into direct exchange. In areas close to the goldfields, salt could be purchased for an equivalent weight of gold, illustrating the exceptional value assigned to desert salt in inland markets.
Maritime salt from the Atlantic coast could reach the interior in some places, but the hot and humid Sudanese climate made it unsuitable for distribution across vast distances. Salt bars mined in the Sahara were dry and solid, allowing them to travel without damage over long routes. Several deposits served as principal sources during different phases of the salt trade.
The pages identify the Awlil mines, associated with the Juddala and described by al-Bakri and al-Idrisi, as among the nearest sources to Bilad al-Sudan. They are located here with the Trarza salines in southern Mauritania near the Senegal River. Salt moved overland by caravan or upstream by boat toward Takrur and Silla, and onward toward the goldfields.