Final answer:
Gold and salt were valuable in ancient Africa due to their utility and scarcity. Gold was treasured for wealth and power, while salt was essential for food preservation and health, leading to substantial trade across the Sahara.
Step-by-step explanation:
Gold and salt were highly valuable commodities in ancient Africa for several reasons. Gold was treasured for its scarcity and beauty, making it a symbol of wealth and power. Kingdoms such as Ghana, Mali, and Songhai amassed great wealth by controlling and taxing gold trade. Salt, while common today, was a rare and essential resource in ancient Africa. It was crucial for preserving food and maintaining human health, and regions inland from the Sahara lacked easily accessible sources of salt. Hence, these regions were willing to trade gold for it.
Due to its value, salt was transported across treacherous Saharan trade routes to reach the empires of West Africa. Caravans laden with slabs of salt from the mines in places like Taghaza would travel to bustling trade centers like Timbuktu and Gao, where salt would be traded for gold, and also for other goods such as ivory, copper, textiles, and enslaved people. These commodities, in turn, made their way beyond Africa to Europe and the Middle East, integrating Africa into a broader global trading system.
Aside from trade, salt's value was also recognized in the social and political structures. For example, during the Mali Empire, the king stored it in the royal treasury, signifying its status alongside gold. Salt also played a role in everyday language and culture, as seen in the ancient Roman use of the word 'salt' for salary, which leads to the modern saying 'not worth his salt'.