c. 10th centuryEvent
Cowrie currency reaches the Middle Niger
Arabic records attest the use of Indian Ocean / Persian Gulf cowrie shells on the Middle Niger from the tenth century CE.
Hall of FamePre-Independence
c. 10th century
Cowrie currency reaches the Middle Niger
Arabic records attest the use of Indian Ocean / Persian Gulf cowrie shells on the Middle Niger from the tenth century CE.
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What happened
Arabic records attest the use of Indian Ocean / Persian Gulf cowrie shells on the Middle Niger from the tenth century CE. Benin used small white shells (cowries) as currency before Europeans arrived, suggesting Benin's early trading links ran up the Niger to Gao and Timbuktu.