Ancient Mali

Ancient Mali

by KGES 3rd Grade

Where was Mali located? 

​Center of Trade

• ​One of the largest and wealthiest empires of its time

• ​One of the most important centers of trade

• ​At the crossroads of the trade routes between the salt mines in the Sahara Desert and the gold mines in West Africa

Multiple Choice

What two resources were key to Mali's wealth? 

• silver and gold

• salt and water

• olives and grapes

• salt and gold

Multiple Select

What was salt used for? Choose all the correct answers.

• preserving food

• make jewelry 

• tan leather

• make medicine

Multiple Choice

What continent was Mali located on?

• Europe

• Africa

• Asia

• Australia

​"Bright Country"

• ​Salt and gold made Mali rich.

• ​It was known for being very safe.

• ​Merchants did not fear being robbed as they brought caravans to great markets

Multiple Choice

What is a caravan?

• A boat

• A place where people traded

• Groups of musicians 

• A long line of camels traveling together carrying people and goods

​A secret...

• ​The location of the gold mines in West Africa was a close kept secret, why?

​The Storytellers

• ​They carried the history of their country and passed it along throughout generations.

• ​They were trusted advisors of kings and queens.

• ​They were very powerful.

​Timbuktu

• ​A great city near the Niger River

• ​Devoted to learning

• ​Two great universities

• ​Over 170 schools

• ​A great library

Multiple Choice

What was Timbuktu dedicated to? 

• Gold

• Education

• Salt

• Religion 

​The end of the empire

• ​War came to Mali

• ​Travel became dangerous

• ​Rival kings took over

• ​Soon traders began traveling by sea instead of caravan

​Food

• In order to get food the Malians farmed and raised animals in the grasslands at the edge of the Sahara Desert.

• ​They fished in the Niger River.

• ​Once the empire reached the Atlantic, they also searched for seafood along the coast.

​Crops included:

​Beans

​Rice

​Onions

​Squash

​Peanuts

​Mali today:

​Today, Mali is a country in West Africa.

​The Sahara Desert is growing with climate change, causing the grasslands to die off.

Multiple Choice

How do we know about Mali’s history?

• From stories handed down by storytellers

• From trade records found in the Sahara

• From journals kept by Columbus

• From books in Timbuktu

Multiple Choice

Which desert did caravans cross to reach the gold mines of West Africa?

• Gobi

• Sahara

• African

• Western

Multiple Choice

Which describes the government of Mali?

• It was a dynasty

• It was a direct democracy

• It was a representative democracy

• It was ruled by kings.