Latest / The Songhai Empire: Africa's Powerful Forgotten Kingdom — Fexingo History
The Songhai Empire's Spice Trade: Pepper Routes of the Sahel
When you think of Songhai's trade, you think of salt, gold, and copper. But there's another commodity that moved along the Niger River and across the Sahara: pepper and spices. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the role of West African melegueta pepper, known as 'grains of paradise,' in the trans-Saharan economy. They discuss how Songhai merchants — particularly the Wangara and Dyula — controlled the flow of this prized spice from the forest regions of present-day Ghana and Ivory Coast up to Timbuktu and Gao, and from there across the desert to North Africa and…
The skinny
The skinny isn't ready yet — notes appear once the transcript is processed.