Ancient West African Transportation and Clothing By Jon

I am studying ancient West African transportation and clothing. There are both differences and similarities in West African transportation and clothing when you compare ancient to modern times.

I learned that ancient West Africans used pack animals, like camels, for getting around. The reason they used pack animals is (a) they did not have gas or electric powered vehicles, (b) camels can go without water for many hours, and (c) camels are good around the heat and desert. Even today, many people are still using pack animals as an important mode of transportation.

In ancient West Africa clothes were also very important. Just like today, in ancient times people wore clothes for many reasons. They wore clothes for warmth, wealth, getting protected by the sun, modesty, and many other reasons. Today, anybody can wear what they want to wear, but back then the traditions and rules they lived by placed many restrictions on what they could wear (and when they could wear it). For example, only married women could wear brass earrings, which indicates their status in society. Also, women wore head ties around their hair, with the greater the size of the head tie indicating a more important social status. Like in modern times, different clothes could indicate where you are from, what position you are in, and what kind of a person you are.

As you can see, there are some differences, and some similarities, in ancient West African transportation and clothing from what we see today in the 21st century.