a brief note on Trade and Travel in the ancient Sahara and beyond.
uncovering the origins of Carthage's aethiopian auxiliaries.
=========================== #### Discover more from African History Extra All about African history; narrating the continent's neglected past Over 6,000 subscribers a brief note on Trade and Travel in the ancient Sahara and beyond.
================================================================== ### uncovering the origins of Carthage's aethiopian auxiliaries. ( Dec 10, 2023 17 Covering nearly a third of the African continent, the Sahara Desert conjures visions of torrid heat waves rising over an endless sea of burning sand dunes where only the bravest nomads dared to tread. Discourses on the Sahara throughout history have been dominated by the persistent belief that the desert was largely uninhabited and uninhabitable. Closely related to these discourses was the diffusionist hypothesis that African societies depended on exogenous contact in order to achieve social evolution. Combining these two presumptions about the Sahara and African societies, early scholarship introduced the concept of a habitable 'corridor', that was understood to be a narrow stretch of land across the desert and the only route through which Mediterranean influences could reach "inner Africa". It was in this context that Nubia was imagined to be a corridor through which technological and cultural innovations were "transmitted" from the Mediterranean world to Africa. The same concept of a corridor through the desert was applied to the Fezzan and Kawar oases of the central Sahara. All these corridors were thought of as routes through which everything from iron technology to statecraft were transmitted from Egypt and Carthage to the rest of Africa. _**Ruins of Djado in the (
**_. this medieval town is located at the very center of the Sahara. As later research uncovered the ancient foundations of social complexity in Africa, the diffusionist paradigm was largely discarded by most scholars. The ancient ( in central Nigeria had no connections to Carthage, nor were the forms of Nubian statecraft similar to Egypt. As one scholar summarized: **"Surely corridors usually lead to a few rooms, but the Nubian corridor, in which so much happened, does not seem to have led anywhere."(
** Yet the concept of a corridor cutting through the barren desert persisted, no longer as a conduit for transmitting "civilization" from North to south, the Saharan oases were now imagined to be highway stations along ancient routes which supposedly begun on the mediteranean coast and terminated in the old towns of west Africa and Sudan. Maps of medieval Africa are today populated with lines crisscrossing the desert, that are meant to represent fixed routes taken by carravans in the centuries past. However, like its diffusionist precursor, this notion of oases as fixed highway stations along direct lines in the desert has not stood up to closer scrutiny. As one historian of the Sahara cautions; **"It is thus hazardous and inexact to depict Saharan trails on maps as though they were established as major highways. The historical geography of Saharan trails is in fact very complicated, with numerous variants on routes followed depending on the shifting geopolitical realities as well as the natural limitations of travel across a hyper-arid zone."**( _**The world of the Sahara**_, map by D. J. Mattingly Trans-Saharan travel and exchanges proceeded by regional stages, with the eventual long-distance transport being accomplished by numerous local exchanges. The societies and economies of Saharan communities were largely sustained by local resources and regional trade, rather than depending on tolls from long-distance trade. Such was the case for the Kawar Oasis towns, as well as the (
, both of whose domestic economies did not significantly rely on long-distance trade with north-Africa, but from regional trade with neighboring states. However, travel and trade did occur across the Sahara, often utilizing well-known itineraries through which goods and technologies were exchanged. How far back Trans-Saharan travel and exchanges begun is a matter of heated debate, with most scholars asserting that it started with the introduction of the camel at the start of the middle ages, while others claim that wheeled chariots were crossing the Sahara during the age of the Romans and the Carthaginians. The ancient links between Carthage and West Africa is the subject of **my latest Patreon article, in which I explore the evidence for ancient exchanges in the central Sahara, inorder to uncover the origins of the aethiopian auxiliaries of Carthage’s armies.** **read more about it here:** ( * * * **Join the African history Patreon community and support this website** ( * * * _**Ruins of Carthage in Tunisia.**_ * * * Thanks for reading African History Extra! for free to receive new posts and support my work. * * *
## Title: Trade and Travel in the Ancient Sahara and Beyond

## Description: Uncovering the Origins of Carthage's Aethiopian Auxiliaries

### 1. The Nature of the Sahara Desert
- The Sahara Desert encompasses nearly one-third of the African continent.
- It has historically been perceived as uninhabitable and largely uninhabited.
- This perception influenced early scholarly discussions about African societies, suggesting that they required external contact for social development.

### 2. The Concept of Corridors
- Early scholarship introduced the idea of "corridors" through the Sahara, which were thought to be narrow stretches of land facilitating Mediterranean influences into "inner Africa."
- Nubia was considered a key corridor for transmitting technologies and cultural practices from Egypt and Carthage.
- Similar concepts were applied to the Fezzan and Kawar oases.

### 3. Reevaluation of the Corridor Theory
- Advances in research revealed significant ancient social complexity in Africa, contradicting the diffusionist hypothesis.
- Evidence showed that societies in regions like central Nigeria were not connected to Carthage, and Nubian statecraft was distinct from Egyptian models.
- One scholar noted, “Surely corridors usually lead to a few rooms, but the Nubian corridor, in which so much happened, does not seem to have led anywhere.”

### 4. Oases as Trade Stations
- The notion that Saharan oases served as established trading posts along fixed routes has also been challenged.
- Historical geography of Saharan trails is complex, influenced by geopolitical factors and natural challenges.
- Trade in the Sahara was largely sustained by local economies and regional exchanges, rather than relying heavily on long-distance trade.

### 5. Local Economies and Trade Dynamics
- Towns such as those in the Kawar Oasis did not significantly depend on trade with North Africa; their economies were grounded in regional exchanges with neighboring states.
- Despite this, trans-Saharan travel and trade did occur, often along recognized itineraries.

### 6. Historical Context of Trans-Saharan Trade
- The origins of trans-Saharan travel and trade are debated among scholars.
- Some argue that the introduction of the camel in the Middle Ages marked the beginning of significant trans-Saharan trade.
- Others suggest that wheeled chariots were utilized across the Sahara during the Roman and Carthaginian periods.

### 7. Focus on Carthage and West Africa
- The interactions between Carthage and West Africa are explored in-depth in a recent article focused on the ancient exchanges within the central Sahara.
- The article investigates evidence regarding the origins of the Aethiopian auxiliaries in Carthage’s military.

### Conclusion
- Understanding ancient trade and travel in the Sahara is essential for repainting the historical narrative of Africa, focusing on local resources, regional interactions, and the nuanced complexities of Saharan societies. 

By exploring these aspects, we gain insights into the importance of the Sahara as a crossroads of cultural and economic exchange, rather than merely a barrier to development.