1.  Sudan  Caravans  A region of northern Africa south of the Sahara Desert and north of the equator, stretching from the Atlantic coast to Ethiopia  Files of vehicles or pack animals traveling together

2.  Medieval  Vicinity  Flourishing  Floodplain  The period in history from about a.d. 500 to a.d. 1450  The region within close range of a place  Growing extremely well  Flat land along a river made up of soil left by floods

3.  Bartering  The trading of goods without the exchange of money

4.  Why did the authors explain that ordinary people wore golden jewelry?  Why did Wangaran miners keep the location of their mines a secret  The authors explained that ordinary people wore jewelry to show that gold was plentiful in Ghana.  Wangaran miners kept the location of their mines a secret so outsiders would not steal their wealth.

5.  Ladened  Goods  Thicket  Primary  Livestock  Weighed down with heavy things  Items 4 sale  A dense growth of shrubs  Main; basic  Animals raised and kept on a farm

6.  Why did the authors call the Wangaran miners shy?  Were you surprised to learn that dumb bartering usually worked quickly and smoothly? Explain.  The authors called Wangaran miners shy because they hid from view.  I was surprised the dumb bartering usually worked quickly and smoothly because it seems as if communicating without speaking would have been difficult.

7.  Endure  Entourage  To carry on despite hardships  A group of followers

8.  Why do you think the authors described a camel caravan as colorful?  Tell what the authors mean by this analogy: the camel was to the Berbers what the bison was to the native American.  The authors use the word colorful because the camel caravan had colorful dress, colorful goods, and an interesting variety of people.  This analogy means that each kind of animal was vitally important to the lives of the people in each group.

9.  Oasis  Caravanserai  A green spot in the desert where water can be found  An inn with a large outdoor area where caravans would stay

10.  Why did the caravans move so slowly across the desert?  In what ways do you think caravanserai might have been similar to modern-day road side rest stops?  The caravans moved slowly because of the shifting sands, heat, the required prayer periods, and for the camels.  Caravanserai may have been similar to modern- day rest stops in that travelers were resting and talking, refreshments were available, and resting camels might have looked like parked cars

11.  Compounds  Allocated  Grievance  Groups of houses or other buildings, enclosed by a wall or fence  Set aside for a particular purpose.  A complaint based on a real or imagined wrong

12.  What can you infer from the detail that most small towns were surrounded by walls with moats or pits in front of them?  Why do you think the authors give more details about life in Ghana's villages than in its cities?  From the detail that most small towns were surrounded with moats or pits in front of them I can infer that they probably needed to defend themselves against attackers.  The authors give more details about life in Ghana’s villages than in its cities because most people lived in farming villages.

13.  Adequate  Game  Meager  Paternal  Maternal  Dissent  Belligerence  Enough  Wild animals, birds monkeys ect.  Lacking in amount or richness  Related through one’s father  Related through one’s mother  Disagreement  A warlike, unfriendly attitude

14.  What does the Soninke proverb mean?  What does the proverb show about the Soninke?  The Soninke proverb means family ties are stronger and last longer than a relationship with a king.  The proverb shows that family life is very important to the Soninke.