TradeTrade Routes Routes that that Linked Linked ClassicalClassical Civilizations Civilizations WhatWhat are are the the Four Four major major trade trade routesroutes that that linked linked Classical Classical Civilizations?Civilizations?

TheThe Silk Silk Road Road IndianIndian Ocean Ocean Trade Trade TransTrans--SaharanSaharan Trade Trade SubSub--SaharanSaharan Trade Trade SaharaSahara DesertDesert

TransTrans--SaharanSaharan RoutesRoutes spreadspread goodsgoods suchsuch asas GoldGold andand SaltSalt acrossacross thethe greatgreat desert.desert.

IndianIndian OceanOcean

RoutesRoutes fromfrom IndiaIndia toto thethe ArabianArabian PeninsulaPeninsula andand AfricaAfrica

BantuBantu  AmongAmong thethe mostmost influentialinfluential peoplepeople ofof ancientancient SubSub-- SaharaSahara AfricaAfrica werewere thosethose whowho spokespoke thethe BantuBantu languageslanguages  BantuBantu peoplepeople showedshowed anan earlyearly readinessreadiness toto migratemigrate  CanoesCanoes enabledenabled thethe BantuBantu toto movemove easilyeasily •Ethnic groups descended from the Bantu include the Shona, the Xhosa, the Kikuyu, and the Zulu, of the Eastern Bantu language branch; and the Herero and Tonga peoples, of the Western Bantu language branch.

•750-600 BCE: Kush or Nubia (upper or southern reaches of Nile River) rules Egypt from capital Meroe; with metal technology, widened economic influence in sub-Saharan Africa.

•500 BCE: Ancient Nok culture thrives in forests of central Nigeria (to CE 200). Claimed by the Yoruba peoples as ancestors, the Nok are justly revered for their art and terra cottas. •C. 300 CE: Rise of Axum or Aksum (Ethiopia) and conversion to Christianity. (By CE 1st century, Rome had conquered Egypt, Carthage, and other North African areas; which became the granaries of the Roman Empire, and the majority of the population converted to Christianity). Axum spent its religious zeal carving out churches from rocks, and writing and interpreting religious texts. •600-1000 CE: Bantu migration extends to southern Africa; Bantu languages will predominate in central and southern Africa. TransTrans--SaharanSaharan TradeTrade Routes:Routes: AncientAncient tradetrade routesroutes connectedconnected subsub-- SaharanSaharan WestWest AfricaAfrica toto thethe MediterraneanMediterranean coast.coast. AmongAmong thethe commoditiescommodities carriedcarried southwardsouthward werewere silk,silk, cotton,cotton, horses,horses, andand salsalt.t. AmongAmong thosethose carriedcarried northwardnorthward werewere gold,gold, ivory,ivory, pepper,pepper, andand slavslaves.es.

AnswerAnswer II amam thethe tiptip ofof aa camelcamel’’ss nosenose andand mouth!mouth! II amam veryvery importantimportant toto thethe camel,camel, becausebecause mymy nostrilsnostrils cancan closeclose upup completelycompletely toto keepkeep outout thethe sand.sand. MyMy mouthmouth helpshelps thethe camelcamel getget thethe mostmost proteinprotein andand energyenergy outout ofof poorpoor--qualityquality foodfood inin thethe desert.desert. ByBy swallowingswallowing andand regurgitatingregurgitating allall day,day, chewingchewing andand chewingchewing andand chewingchewing withwith sidewayssideways grindinggrinding motions,motions, mymy specialspecial mouthmouth pulverizespulverizes foodfood andand suckssucks outout everyevery lastlast bitbit ofof nutrition.nutrition. EconomicEconomic Exchange:Exchange: CamelsCamels  CamelsCamels camecame toto northnorth AfricaAfrica fromfrom ArabiaArabia,, byby wayway ofof EgyptEgypt andand thethe Sudan,Sudan, aroundaround thethe 77thth CenturyCentury B.C.B.C.  AA caravancaravan tooktook 7070 toto 9090 daysdays toto crosscross thethe Sahara,Sahara, soso thethe camelcamel’’ss abilityability toto traveltravel longlong distancesdistances withoutwithout waterwater mademade itit veryvery usefuluseful  AfterAfter aboutabout 300300 A.D.,A.D., camelscamels hadhad replacedreplaced horseshorses andand donkeysdonkeys asas thethe preferredpreferred meansmeans ofof transportationtransportation acrossacross thethe SaharaSahara CAMELSCAMELS

PeoplePeople havehave beenbeen usingusing camelscamels forfor overover 4,0004,000 yearsyears mostlymostly asas packpack animalsanimals andand forfor transportation.transportation. TheyThey useuse theirtheir hairhair forfor felt,felt, andand theythey areare usedused forfor theirtheir meatmeat andand milkmilk asas well.well. TheirTheir drieddried manuremanure cancan eveneven bebe usedused asas fuel.fuel. •• CamelsCamels cancan bebe gross!gross! TheyThey spit,spit, burp,burp, andand eveneven worse!worse! •• CamelsCamels havehave adaptedadapted toto theirtheir environment.environment. TheThe secretsecret isis inin itsits bloodblood cellscells (erythrocytes),(erythrocytes), whichwhich cancan absorbabsorb waterwater andand expandexpand upup toto 240%240% theirtheir originaloriginal size!size! CamelsCamels cancan drinkdrink 4040 gallonsgallons ofof waterwater atat onceonce andand storestore itit inin theirtheir blood.blood. TheThe humpshumps storestore 8080 lbs.lbs. ofof fatfat whichwhich nourishesnourishes thethe camelcamel inin timestimes ofof scarcescarce food.food. WhenWhen thethe camelcamel usesuses thethe fat,fat, thethe humpshumps shrink.shrink. WhenWhen itit eatseats again,again, thethe humpshumps swellswell up.up. CamelsCamels havehave aa thirdthird eyelideyelid thatthat goesgoes overover thethe eyeeye likelike swimmingswimming gogglesgoggles toto protectprotect itsits eyeseyes fromfrom thethe sand!sand! TheThe camel'scamel's feetfeet areare hugehuge andand theythey allowallow themthem toto walkwalk onon thethe sandsand likelike snowsnow shoes.shoes. CamelsCamels livelive aboutabout 4040 yearsyears andand havehave 11 babybaby everyevery 1212--1515 months.months. WillWill youyou bebe mymy FRIEND?FRIEND? Camel Racing GhanaGhana

 oldold andand powerfulpowerful  controlledcontrolled thethe goldgold andand saltsalt tradetrade  adoptedadopted Islam:Islam: 985985 A.D.A.D.  generatedgenerated furtherfurther conversionconversion toto thethe westwest  prosperousprosperous  conqueredconquered byby BerbersBerbers andand TuaregsTuaregs EconomicEconomic Exchange:Exchange: GoldGold

 TheThe KingdomKingdom ofof GhanaGhana becamebecame thethe mostmost importantimportant commercialcommercial sitesite inin westwest AfricaAfrica becausebecause itit waswas thethe centercenter forfor tradetrade inin goldgold  GhanaGhana itselfitself diddid notnot produceproduce goldgold butbut thethe kingskings obtainedobtained goldgold fromfrom landslands toto thethe southsouth andand becamebecame wealthywealthy byby controllingcontrolling andand taxingtaxing thethe tradetrade  MuslimMuslim merchantsmerchants werewere especiallyespecially eagereager toto procureprocure goldgold forfor customerscustomers inin thethe MediterraneanMediterranean basinbasin andand thethe IslamicIslamic worldworld  GhanaGhana alsoalso providedprovided ivoryivory andand slavesslaves  InIn exchangeexchange theythey receivedreceived horses,horses, cloth,cloth, smallsmall manufacturedmanufactured wares,wares, andand saltsalt MaliMali

 successorsuccessor statestate  fellfell heirheir toto mostmost ofof thethe territoryterritory andand commercialcommercial enterprisesenterprises ofof GhanaGhana EconomicEconomic Exchange:Exchange: GoldGold  MaliMali benefitedbenefited fromfrom transtrans--SaharaSahara tradetrade eveneven moremore thanthan diddid GhanaGhana  FromFrom 1313th untiluntil thethe latelate 1515th CenturyCentury MaliMali controlledcontrolled andand taxedtaxed almostalmost allall thethe tradetrade passingpassing throughthrough westwest AfricaAfrica  TheThe mostmost prominentprominent periodperiod waswas underunder thethe reignreign ofof MansaMansa MusaMusa fromfrom 13121312 toto 13371337 NativeNative ReligionReligion

 ManyMany AfricanAfrican recognizedrecognized aa creatorcreator godgod asas thethe singlesingle divinedivine forceforce responsibleresponsible forfor settingsetting thethe worldworld inin motionmotion andand providingproviding itit withwith orderorder  BeneathBeneath himhim werewere manymany lesserlesser godsgods associatedassociated withwith thethe sun,sun, wind,wind, rain,rain, trees,trees, rivers,rivers, andand otherother naturalnatural featuresfeatures  UnlikeUnlike thethe supremesupreme creatorcreator god,god, thesethese lesserlesser godsgods activelyactively participatedparticipated inin thethe workingsworkings ofof thethe worldworld  DivinersDiviners werewere religiousreligious specialistsspecialists whowho hadhad thethe powerpower toto mediatemediate betweenbetween humanityhumanity andand supernaturalsupernatural beingsbeings InfluenceInfluence ofof TradeTrade onon ReligionReligion

 ContactContact withwith MuslimMuslim merchantsmerchants encouragedencouraged subsub--SaharaSahara westwest AfricansAfricans andand coastalcoastal easteast AfricansAfricans toto adoptadopt IslamIslam  ItIt servedserved asas aa culturalcultural foundationfoundation forfor businessbusiness relationshipsrelationships  YetYet AfricanAfrican rulingruling eliteselites andand merchantsmerchants diddid notnot convertconvert forfor purelypurely mercenarymercenary reasons;reasons; theythey tooktook theirtheir newnew faithfaith seriouslyseriously

SpecializationSpecialization

West African gold merchants using weights and measures SpecializationSpecialization

 TextileTextile andand potterypottery productionproduction  MetalMetal--smithingsmithing  LeatherworkingLeatherworking  MiningMining  ArchitectureArchitecture  TradingTrading  ReligiousReligious scholarsscholars TransTrans--SaharanSaharan Slave Slave TradeTrade TransTrans--SaharanSaharan SlaveSlave TradeTrade

 BetweenBetween NorthNorth AfricaAfrica andand BlackBlack AfricaAfrica  77thCC CECE –– introductionintroduction ofof thethe camelcamel andand thethe caravancaravan tradetrade routesroutes  TransTrans--SaharanSaharan routeroute mutuallymutually beneficialbeneficial forfor IslamicIslamic worldworld andand savannasavanna statesstates ofof AfricaAfrica  9.49.4 millionmillion tradedtraded betweenbetween 650650--900900 ADAD (many(many dieddied enen route)route) TransTrans--SaharanSaharan SlaveSlave TradeTrade

 TheThe SaharanSaharan tradetrade extendedextended fromfrom thethe SubSub-- SaharanSaharan WestWest AfricanAfrican kingdomskingdoms acrossacross thethe SaharaSahara desertdesert toto Europe.Europe. TheThe SaharanSaharan TradeTrade linkedlinked suchsuch AfricanAfrican empiresempires asas Ghana,Ghana, Mali,Mali, andand SonghaySonghay toto thethe EuropeanEuropean world.world. TransTrans--SaharanSaharan SlaveSlave TradeTrade

WhileWhile thethe Sudan,Sudan, wherewhere thethe EmpireEmpire ofof GhanaGhana waswas situated,situated, possessedpossessed aa largelarge amountamount ofof gold,gold, thethe regionregion lackedlacked adequateadequate saltsalt forfor thethe survivalsurvival ofof Empire'sEmpire's population.population. TheThe DesertDesert regionsregions ofof presentpresent dayday MoroccoMorocco andand Algeria,Algeria, however,however, containedcontained hugehuge saltsalt resources,resources, andand desertdesert inhabitantsinhabitants werewere alwaysalways inin searchsearch ofof valuables.valuables. NotNot surprisingly,surprisingly, thethe goldgold--saltsalt tradetrade betweenbetween thethe GhanaGhana EmpireEmpire andand thethe ArabArab desertdesert merchantsmerchants flourishedflourished..

TransTrans--SaharanSaharan SlaveSlave TradeTrade

 TradeTrade involvedinvolved mostlymostly goldgold andand slavesslaves goinggoing northnorth  InvolvedInvolved mostlymostly saltsalt goinggoing southsouth  TheThe historyhistory ofof thethe goldgold tradetrade andand thethe adoptionadoption ofof IslamIslam inin SubSub--SaharanSaharan AfricaAfrica werewere closelyclosely linkedlinked TransTrans--SaharanSaharan SlaveSlave TradeTrade

 55th C.C. –– camelscamels allowedallowed BerberBerber--speakingspeaking peoplepeople toto beginbegin crossingcrossing thethe SaharaSahara DesertDesert  88th C.C. –– annualannual tradetrade caravanscaravans followedfollowed routesroutes TransTrans--SaharanSaharan SlaveSlave TradeTrade

 77th –– 1111th C.C. –– tradetrade linkedlinked MediterraneanMediterranean economieseconomies thatthat neededneeded goldgold (sub(sub--Sahara)Sahara) toto subsub-- SaharanSaharan economieseconomies thatthat neededneeded saltsalt (Mediterranean(Mediterranean hadhad this)this) TransTrans--SaharanSaharan SlaveSlave TradeTrade

 MerchantsMerchants transportedtransported moremore thanthan valuablevaluable commoditiescommodities alongalong thethe transtrans--SaharanSaharan routes.routes. JustJust asas BuddhismBuddhism reachedreached thethe ChineseChinese EmpireEmpire viavia IndianIndian merchantsmerchants travelingtraveling thethe SilkSilk RoadRoad,, IslamIslam reachedreached WestWest AfricaAfrica throughthrough ArabArab MerchantsMerchants onon SaharanSaharan caravancaravan routes.routes. ArabArab merchantsmerchants broughtbrought thethe KoranKoran andand thethe writtenwritten languagelanguage ArabicArabic toto thethe traditionallytraditionally oraloral culturescultures eacheach empireempire encompassedencompassed