FIRST CONTACTS 28000 BCE 1821 CE
THE COLUMBIAN EXCHANGE
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Question
[CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
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Ivory
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Salt
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Gold
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Ice
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Detailed explanation-1: -Salt may not sound valuable to us today, but we have refrigerators: back then, they had to use salt to preserve meat. These trading systems brought about the emergence of urban trading centers, such as the city of Timbuktu in Mali.
Detailed explanation-2: -Salt was used to preserve and flavor food. It was especially important in West Africa as people needed extra salt to replace what their bodies lost in the hot climate. Through trade in gold and salt, Ghana reached the height of its power in the 800s C.E. and 900s C.E.
Detailed explanation-3: -The main items traded were gold and salt. The gold mines of West Africa made empires such as Ghana and Mali very wealthy. Other commonly traded items included ivory, cloth, slaves, metal goods, and beads. Major cities developed as trade centers.
Detailed explanation-4: -The gold and salt trade routes were important trade network lanes that connected sub-saharan West Africa with the Middle East and Europe.