Images

A map of West Africa from the 1375 CE Catalan Atlas. The map shows the trans-Saharan caravan trade routes between North Africa and the Niger River. (Sheet 6, National Library of France, Paris)

Ten Caesars: Roman Emperors from Augustus to Constantine

Built in the 16th–18th centuries, the Salzspeicher (salt storehouses) of Lübeck, Germany, stored salt to be shipped to the Baltic region.

Arms of the Hanseatic League, 1670 CE, Museum of London

Boats transporting slabs of rock salt on the Niger River delta, Mopti, Mali. The salt comes from ancient mines in the Sahara desert.

Salt slabs on sale at a market in Timbuktu, Mali. Salt from mines in the Sahara desert has been transported to and traded in West Africa since pre-historical times.

Sankore Mosque, Timbuktu, Mali. The mosque was built in the late 1100s CE.

Maximum extent of the Songhai Empire (c. 1460 - c. 1591 CE). Note: This map is for general illustration purposes, the Songhai Empire did not extend to the Atlantic coast.

Tomb of Askia Mohammad I (r. 1494-1528 CE) of the Songhai Empire. Gao, Mali. The complex includes the pyramidal tomb, two flat-roofed mosque buildings, the mosque cemetery, and the open-air assembly ground.

The upper register shows Urartians advancing into battle (against the Assyrians) from mountains while the lower register shows handing over of prisoners to an Assyrian officer from the camp. Shalmaneser III's military campaign in Armenia...