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Did salt used to be a currency?
Salt was used as currency in ancient Rome, and the roots of the words “soldier” and “salary” can be traced to Latin words related to giving or receiving salt. During the Middle Ages, salt was transported along roads built especially for that purpose.
Why did people use salt as currency?
It helped eliminate dependence on seasonal availability of food, and made it possible to transport food over large distances. However, salt was often difficult to obtain, so it was a highly valued trade item, and was considered a form of currency by certain peoples.
Which region of the world first used salt as currency?
The most common exchange was salt for gold dust that came from the mines of southern West Africa. Indeed, salt was such a precious commodity that it was quite literally worth its weight in gold in some parts of West Africa.
Why is salt so cheap now?
In the 20th century salt has become a cheap everyday product, because new deposits have been opened up and production has been thoroughly economized. The techniques though are basically still the same as in centuries before.
Where was salt ever commonly used as currency?
In ancient Greece, slaves were sold for salt (a bad slave was “not worth his salt”). Marco Polo reported that in Tibet, cakes of salt were pressed with images of the emperor and used as currency. Salt bars were, and reportedly are still used as money in parts of Ethiopia.
What was salt used for in the Roman Empire?
Salt was very popular in the Roman Empire and early Roman Republic. The Roman Legions sometimes also used salt as currency. Roman Wooden Tools Used for Salt Mining, Ocna Mures (Alba Iulia National Museum of the Union, 2011).
Where was salt produced in the ancient world?
Most of the ancient site where the salt was produced is currently under the modern city of Vigo, however, a small section is now known as Salinae. It’s a small museum which belongs to the Museum of the Sea (Museo do Mar). This marine salt production site is one of the best preserved of its kind around the world.
Where did the Roman soldiers get their money from?
“Salarium” is often said to be “salt money”, but a better translation would be “salt house”, i.e. a place where salt was kept. I Roman soldiers definitely received a salarium, e.g. Agricola’s complaint that he didn’t get his, as described in Tacitus’ biography. This is definitely money, though, not salt.