The Gold Road - Information and Teaching Resources

A comprehensive list of resources which include books, documentaries, useful websites, lessons and tools regarding to the Gold Road.

Arabic Name Pronunciations for the Gold Road Project 

The Gold Road Project Interactive Map highlights people, places, and trans-saharan trade items representing the medieval Sudanic empires of Ghana, Mali and Songhai.

Map by Adrian Kitzinger from Sahel: Art and Empires on the Shore of the Sahara edited by Alisa LaGamma. Copyright © 2020 The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Reprinted by permission.

A map of global trade networks made by The Block Museum of Art at Northwestern University for the exhibition Caravans of Gold, Fragments in Time, which toured at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art. See more in the Caravans of Gold - Teachers’ Guide. 

The Block Museum of Art at Northwestern University's exhibition Caravans of Gold, Fragments in Time toured at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art.

The Block Museum of Art at Northwestern University has developed a Teacher’s Guide and compiled a list of Recommended Resources to help educators teach with key works and themes related to the exhibition Caravans of Gold, Fragments in Time: Art, Culture, and Exchange across Medieval Saharan Africa. The Teacher’s Guide begins and ends with a series of activities to contextualize the Caravans of Gold story and to help your students understand what is at stake in learning this history.

Beginning about 1200 CE, the Mali, Songhay, and Ghana empires spread their sequential influence across the western horn of Africa. This title discusses the vital role salt and other natural resources played in the development of the empires, the rich and diverse cultures, and the influence of the Islamic Empire on every day life.

By creating metrically accurate digital representations of historical sites, the Zamani Project seeks to increase awareness and knowledge of tangible cultural heritage in Africa and internationally. Digital spatial data of cultural heritage sites can be used for research and education, for restoration and conservation and as a record for future generations.

The Zamani Project operates as a non-profit organisation within the University of Cape Town.