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Mansa Musa's Soap: The Imperial Hygiene Economy of Mali
Long before modern sanitation, the Mali Empire under Mansa Musa produced and traded soap on an industrial scale. This episode explores the chemistry and commerce of Mali's soap industry: how shea butter from the savanna woodlands was processed into high-value bars that traveled the trans-Saharan trade routes to Egypt, North Africa, and beyond. We look at the women-led production networks, the role of soap in Muslim purity rituals, and the economic impact of this overlooked commodity. Drawing on al-Umari's reports, Ibn Battuta's observations, and archaeological evidence from…
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