Silent barter
Encyclopedia
Silent barter is a system whereby traders
who cannot speak each other's language
can trade without talking and to protect the secrets of where gold and salt came from. This system was used in many parts of ancient Africa
. Silent bartering was mainly used during the period 500 to 1500.
or gold
). If the goods met with approval, the second group would then take the goods, leave their own goods in return, and depart. This system of trading was used in particular in Ancient Ghana. It was also used among the Kushites and the Aksumites.(see Aksum for details.)
It is described in detail in Robert A. Heinlein
's science fiction novel Citizen of the Galaxy
, where the crew of a starship
stops on a world whose nonhuman inhabitants practice a form of silent barter.
The Greek historian Herodotus wrote about the gold trade with Ghana and Carthage: "The Carthaginians also tell us that they trade with a race of men who live in a part of Libya beyond the Pillars of Hercules. (Straits of Gibraltar) On reaching this country, they unload their goods, arrange them tidily along the beach, and then, returning to their boats, raise a smoke. Seeing the smoke, the natives come down to the beach, place on the ground a certain quantity of gold in exchange for the goods, and go off again to a distance. The Carthaginians then come ashore and take a look at the gold; and if they think it represents a fair price for their wares, they collect it and go away; if, on the other hand, it seems too little, they go back aboard and wait, and the natives come and add to the gold until they are satisfied. There is perfect honesty on both sides; the Carthaginians never touch the gold until it equals in value what they have offered for sale, and the natives never touch the goods until the gold has been taken away."
1. The trader(s) might not be able to speak the other's language.
2. This was used to protect the secret of where the gold came from and where the salt came from.
Merchant
A merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...
who cannot speak each other's language
Language
Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
can trade without talking and to protect the secrets of where gold and salt came from. This system was used in many parts of ancient Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. Silent bartering was mainly used during the period 500 to 1500.
Procedure
To perform a silent barter, one group of traders would go to a specific location, leave their trading goods and then withdraw to a distance. Then play a drum to signal other traders that he was having a silent Barter. The other group of traders would then approach and inspect the goods (most commonly saltSalt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
or gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
). If the goods met with approval, the second group would then take the goods, leave their own goods in return, and depart. This system of trading was used in particular in Ancient Ghana. It was also used among the Kushites and the Aksumites.(see Aksum for details.)
It is described in detail in Robert A. Heinlein
Robert A. Heinlein
Robert Anson Heinlein was an American science fiction writer. Often called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was one of the most influential and controversial authors of the genre. He set a standard for science and engineering plausibility and helped to raise the genre's standards of...
's science fiction novel Citizen of the Galaxy
Citizen of the Galaxy
Citizen of the Galaxy is a science fiction novel by American writer Robert A. Heinlein, originally serialized in Astounding Science Fiction and published in hardcover in 1957 as one of the Heinlein juveniles by Scribner's...
, where the crew of a starship
Starship
A starship or interstellar spacecraft is a theoretical spacecraft designed for traveling between the stars, as opposed to a vehicle designed for orbital spaceflight or interplanetary travel....
stops on a world whose nonhuman inhabitants practice a form of silent barter.
The Greek historian Herodotus wrote about the gold trade with Ghana and Carthage: "The Carthaginians also tell us that they trade with a race of men who live in a part of Libya beyond the Pillars of Hercules. (Straits of Gibraltar) On reaching this country, they unload their goods, arrange them tidily along the beach, and then, returning to their boats, raise a smoke. Seeing the smoke, the natives come down to the beach, place on the ground a certain quantity of gold in exchange for the goods, and go off again to a distance. The Carthaginians then come ashore and take a look at the gold; and if they think it represents a fair price for their wares, they collect it and go away; if, on the other hand, it seems too little, they go back aboard and wait, and the natives come and add to the gold until they are satisfied. There is perfect honesty on both sides; the Carthaginians never touch the gold until it equals in value what they have offered for sale, and the natives never touch the goods until the gold has been taken away."
Reasons
The two reasons why silent barter was used might be because of:1. The trader(s) might not be able to speak the other's language.
2. This was used to protect the secret of where the gold came from and where the salt came from.