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JAMB History 2022 Paper

Question : 51

Total: 80

In what century did the Trans-Saharan trade start?

Solution:

Concept:

The Trans-Saharan trade dates to the period when the camel first enabled Berber peoples to cross the Sahara Desert for commerce.

Explanation:

Historians place the start of the Trans-Saharan trade in the

5^{\text{th}}

century.

Before that period, regular desert crossing was extremely difficult.

The widespread use of the camel in North Africa made long-distance desert travel practical.

Camels can endure long journeys without water, making them ideal for the Sahara.

Berber-speaking peoples used these camels to cross the desert, connecting North Africa to West Africa.

By the

8^{\text{th}}

century, annual trade caravans traveled along established routes that Arabic authors later recorded in detail.

This earlier crossing in the

5^{\text{th}}

century marks the true beginning of the Trans-Saharan trade.

Answer:

5^{\text{th}}

century

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