Friday, May 15, 2009

Exploring the trans-Saharan Gold Trade


My archeologist son Andy leaves today on an expedition to a remote part of Ghana, on Africa's western coast. It's seems like it's going to be quite an adventure:
I'm leaving tonight for Ghana to once again participate in an archaeological investigation of West African history. We're staying in the main city of Accra for a few days before heading out to the rural village of Banda. I'm working on a team of North American and Ghanaian archaeologists investigating an ancient market town connected with the very beginning of the trans-Saharan gold trade about 1000 years ago.
Under Andy told me about it, I didn't know there was a trans-Saharan gold trade. According to Wikipedia,
"Trans-Saharan trade is trade across the Sahara between Mediterranean countries and sub-Saharan Africa. While existing from prehistoric times, the peak of such trade extended from the eighth century until the late sixteenth century
The place he's working is so remote that there's no phone or email. I can only imagine what it's going to be like for him.

No comments: