Article: From poor farmland, the envy of Africa.(Ghana, West Africa)(Brief Article)

Imagine a king who had a nugget of gold so large he used it to tether his horse. His warriors braided bits of the precious metal into their hair and carried gold-mounted swords. The streets of his capital city-Kumbi Saleh-sparkled from the gilded thread common townspeople wove into their clothes, and even the dogs wore collars flashing metals worth a fortune in the rest of the world.

Ghana, West Africa's first great empire, was such a kingdom. By A.D. 990, when it conquered the city of Audaghost, Ghana's dominance in the rich gold trade was unmatched. Ancient Ghana (which is actually near the site of modern Mali, not modern Ghana) was an unlikely candidate for a ...

Related newspaper, magazine, and journal articles:

 
 
Newsweek Harper's Magazine The Washington Post Chicago Tribune Crain's Chicago Business PRNewswire Pediatric News The Nation Advertising Age The Economist (US) A FREE trial gives you access to over 80 million articles! Access over 6,500 publications with a FREE trial!