Ancient Mali *The student will study the early East African empire of Mali by describing its oral tradition (storytelling), government (kings), and economic development (trade). Created by Emily Hooker

Oral Tradition Most of what we know about Mali’s history comes from oral accounts that were handed down from Mali storytellers. Many storytellers in Mali passed on traditions and stories from one generation to the next.

Griots : A griot is a musician and a storyteller. In ancient Mali there was no written language. In ancient Mali people depended on griots to remind them of things that had happened. When history is past down through stories it is called an oral tradition. The griot would tell stories and sing songs about the history of the people so they would not forget. Just as your parents and grandparents tell stories about when they were young, the griots would tell stories about the past.

Powerful Empire Mali was ruled by rich and powerful kings. These kings were called Mansa. The word "Mansa" means Emperor or Master. The most famous king was Mansa Musa. Under Mansa Musa's rule Mali doubled in size. The kings of Mali were rich and powerful men who controlled trade in West Africa. Mali became one of the largest and wealthiest empires in the region and was an important trade center.

Trade Early Mali was a wealthy trading empire before Columbus sailed to America. Ancient Mali was so wealthy because it was right on two trade routes! People had to travel through Mali to get salt and other items. Also, Mali had many gold mines! The Mali people had many things made of gold. The Mali people kept the location of the gold mines a secret to protect the mines. The Mali people were able to trade gold for salt and other things they needed. Mali also had good farm land and the Niger River. Even though there was not much rainfall, the Mali people were able to grow cotton, peanuts and grains.

Jobs : People in Ancient Mali were farmers, traders and miners. The land was fertile in Mali and people could grow cotton, peanuts and grains. Mali had many gold mines and people from other lands would trade salt and other items for gold dust. Many people from Europe traveled through Mali to get to India and other countries in the East. They would trade with the Mali people as they traveled through the empire.

Geography: Mali is located in West Africa. It is surrounded by land. The most important geographic feature in Mali is the Niger River. Mali is close to the equator, so it is hot there all year long. Mali gets very little rainfall so the country is very dry. The Niger River floods every year and allows people to grow food on its banks.

The Niger River: The Niger River is the most important geographic feature in Mali. Most of the land in Mali is not good for growing food. The land close to the Niger River can grow food. Every year the Niger River floods and spreads nutrients out to land around the river. The Niger River was also used for transportation.

Adaptations: The climate of Mali was very hot. Since it was so hot in Mali the people needed salt to preserve their food and also for their own health. The Mali people adapted to this climate by trading gold for the salt they needed. In order to trade with other countries the people of Mali needed to be able to travel through the desert. The Mali people used camels to carry them and their gold through the desert. Groups of people traveling together were called caravans.

Economic Interdependence: Economic interdependence is when different groups of people help each other out so that both groups have the things they need. The people of Mali had gold that other people wanted. The people of Mali needed salt and other items from other people. The Mali people would trade with other people for the salt and things they needed. The Mali people would use gold dust to buy the things they needed.

Physical Characteristics Located in the western region of the continent of Africa Had rivers nearby Had desert-like conditions Had gold mines Laid across the trade routes between the Sahara Desert and the West African region Contained the important city of Timbuktu

Human Characteristics Farmers Miners Traders

Adaptaions to the Environment Mined gold in West Africa and traded it for salt from the Sahara Desert Used salt for their health and to preserve food Trade made Mali one of the wealthiest empires in the region

Government Ruled by rich and powerful kings Kings controlled the trade in West Africa and made Mali an important trade center

Oral Tradition Mali did not have a formal written language History was passed down by oral accounts through storytellers from one generation to the next

Architecture Built a famous university in Timbuktu that contained a large library of Greek and Roman books

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