Final answer:
Prior to exploration, enslaved persons in Africa were considered an investment for their enslavers and their value was determined by their abilities, skills, and age.
Step-by-step explanation:
Prior to exploration, enslaved persons in Africa were considered to be an investment for their enslavers. Enslavers would buy enslaved individuals, often through the transatlantic slave trade, with the intention of making profits from their labor. The value of enslaved persons was determined by their physical abilities, skills, and age.
Enslaved individuals would be forced to work on plantations, mines, and other industries, generating wealth for their enslavers. They were treated as property and had no rights or freedoms. The practice of enslaving Africans was supported by colonial powers, who viewed it as a means to expand their empires and accumulate wealth.
Slavery in Africa had different forms and varied across regions, but the common thread was that enslaved individuals were seen as a commodity that could be bought, sold, and owned by others.
Learn more about Enslaved persons in Africa