ANCIENT MALI
Resources:
* Vocabulary to know:
http://www.teacherweb.com/VA/LuxfordElementary/Moore/ap3.aspx
• * Ancient Mali Facts
• * Test Questions.
* Mali Scavenger Hunt: Page created by a team of teachers at Kings Park ES. January 2003
http://www.fcps.edu/KingsParkES/technology/mali/index.htm
Vocabulary to know
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Contribution – act of giving or
doing something
 Africa
is the continent where Mali is located.
Mali is in West Africa.
SAHARA DESERT
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It is a desert that covers a
good part of Mali.
MEDITERRANEAN SEA.
It was used by the people of Mali for "trade
routes."
TIMBUKTU
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It was an important city in Mali.
It had a famous university with a large library
containing Greek and Roman books
GRIOT
It is a storyteller
West Africa has a great oral tradition. A griot
is a learned storyteller, entertainer, and
historian. Often a griot will memorize the
genealogy, or family history, of everyone in a
village going back centuries.
TO LISTEN TO SOME GRIOT FROM AFRICA CLICK
ON THE FOLLOWING LINK.
http://youtu.be/zQMFN-whbEU
 (3:23 minutes)
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GOLD
It was mined in the
desert of West Africa.
 It is a natural resource.
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NATURAL RESOURCE
It is a resource that comes
from earth.
 Salt is an example.
 Can you think of another?
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KINGS
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They were rich, powerful men who
controlled trade in West Africa.
HUMAN CHARACTERISTICS - JOBS
People from Mali were:
 Farmers
 Traders
 miners
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EMPIRE
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It means power or authority.
An empire is a big group of states and
peoples- ethnic groups- united and
ruled either by an emperor or king.
TRADITION
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It is a custom or belief that happens
over a long period of time
Thanksgiving, a tradition in America
CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING LINK TO LISTEN TO
AND WATCH A TRADITIONAL MUSIC VIDEO
FROM MALI.
http://youtu.be/Q2O93A8m1Dw
 (1:23 minutes)
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GENERATION
It is the time of an individual’s descent.
 It is a succession of natural descent as
a grandfather, a father, and the father's
son comprise three generations.
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How many generations are in
this family?
And in this one?
WEALTHY
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it is someone who has lots of money or
power.
Important Facts about Ancient Mali
Ancient Mali
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Africa was the home to several great empires.
One of the most prosperous was the empire of
Mali.
Ancient Mali
Mali today
ANCIENT MALI
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Mali was located in
West Africa near the
Niger River. Mali lay
between salt in the
Sahara Desert and
gold mines in West
Africa.
ANCIENT MALI
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The kings of Mali were rich and powerful men who
controlled trade in West Africa.
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Mali became one of the largest and wealthiest
empires in the region and was an important trade
center.
ORAL TRADITION
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Many storytellers or griots in Mali passed on
traditions and stories from one generation to
the next.
NATURAL RESOURCES IN ANCIENT MALI:
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Mali lay across the trade routes between
the sources of salt in the Sahara Desert
and the gold region mines of West Africa.
For the people of the desert, salt was a
natural resource.
People used salt for their health and for
preserving foods.
Miners found gold in Western Africa.
Salt was traded for gold.
TIMBUKTU
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Timbuktu was an important city in
Mali.
It had a famous university with a
large library containing Greek and
Roman books.
Early Mali was a wealthy trading
empire before Christopher
Columbus sailed to America.
http://www.fcps.edu/KingsParkES/technology/mali/index.htm
TEST QUESTIONS
Are you ready?
1- WHY WERE STORYTELLERS SO IMPORTANT
IN THE EMPIRE OF MALI?
YOU GOT IT!
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Storytellers in Mali passed on traditions
and stories from one generation to
another. We know about Mali’s history
because of storytellers.
2- What do we know about the leaders of
the empire of Mali?
AWESOME!
 King’s
of Mali were rich, and
powerful men who controlled
trade in West Africa.
 They were the head of the
government in Ancient Mali.
3- Why was the empire of Mali so wealthy?
GREAT JOB!
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Mali became one of the largest and wealthiest
empires because it was an important trade
center.
Ancient Mali saw the rise of trade and commerce as Mali served as a
major trade route for caravans to pass.
4- What do we know about Mansa Musa?
FANTASTIC!
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Mansa Musa, was the tenth mansa, which
translates as "king of kings" or "emperor", of
the Malian Empire. He was perhaps the
wealthiest ruler of his day.
5- Where was the empire of Mali located?
INCREDIBLE!
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It was located in West Africa near the Niger
River. Mali lay between salt in the Sahara
Desert and gold mines in West Africa.
6- Why was salt so important?
EXTRAORDINARY!
Salt was a natural resource.
 People of the desert used the salt for health
and for preserving their foods( remember,
there were not refrigerators!).
 Miners found gold in West Africa and the
gold was traded for salt.
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7. WHO FOUNDED ANCIENT MALI?
ARE YOU SURE?
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You got it!!!
Ancient Mali was founded under the leadership of King
Sundiata.
Sundiata was the most famous and powerful ruler of Mali.
Sundiata was popularly referred to as 'the Lion King‘.
Being the king of a vast region, he gave rise to the ancient
Mali Empire.
Sundiata's glorious rule was from 1230-1255.
Under his rule, the Mali Empire extended its territories very
fast.
After the death of Sundiata, Mansa Musa was the next
great ruler who contributed to the fast rise of the ancient
Mali Empire.
8. WHAT IS THE RIVER THAT RUNS THROUGH
MALI?
A) Nile
 B) Niger
 C) Amazon
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CORRECT!
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The Niger River runs through Mali.
Mali Scavenger Hunt
 Ancient Mali.pptx
 Read the next information to answer the
questions
 Fill in the correct answers
 (Click on the next web page to answer
all the questions.)
HTTP://WWW.FCPS.EDU/KINGSPARKES/TECHNOLOGY/MALI/MALI
MAP.HTM
NAME ____________________
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MALI SCAVENGER HUNT
1. On which continent was Ancient Mali located? (H/Ge) ________________
2. What river provided water for farming, laundering (washing) and bathing? (Ge) ____________________
3. What desert is located in the northwest region of Mali? (Ge) __________
4. Give two reasons why Timbuktu was important in Ancient Mali. (Ge) ________________________________________
5. Who was responsible for passing on stories and traditions from one generation to the next? (H) _______________
6. Who ruled Ancient Mali? (H/Go) _______________
7. Name one famous ruler of Mali. (H/Go) ___________________________
8. What is known as the “Sea of Sand”? (Ge) __________________________
9. What is a “Ship of the Desert”? (E) __________________________
10.Name two natural resources important to Mali? (E) __________________
11.Which resource did the people of Mali need? (*hint- they traded gold to get this important resource) (E)
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12.Name three jobs that the people of Ancient Mali specialized in? (E)
___________________________________________________________________________________________
13.Name a type of trading where no one needs to talk. (E)
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14.Who protected the caravans? (Go) _________________
MORE FACTS ABOUT MALI
The following reading selections have been extracted are from the following web
page, and go with the Scavenger Hunt.
http://www.fcps.edu/KingsParkES/technology/mali/malimap.htm
GEOGRAPHY OF ANCIENT MALI
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Location: Western Africa
Continent: Africa
Rivers: The Niger River is the largest river. In the south,
this river provided water for farming, laundering and
bathing.
Terrain: The northwestern region of the empire extends
into the Sahara desert. It is almost entirely arid,
without water. In the central and southern areas, the
Niger River has an annual flood cycle with high water
between August and November. A savannah or
grassland stretches across the southern region.
GEOGRAPHY OF ANCIENT MALI
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Sahara Desert: This desert, known as the "Sea of Sand," is the largest
desert in the world. Sahara means "desert" in Arabic. Sahel means "shore."
It is not really a shoreline but a place where short grasses and shrubby
bushes grow at the edge of the desert. This sahel is in between the desert
and the savannah. Camels are called the "ships of the desert."
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Important Cities: Both of these cities were important because they lay along
the trans-Saharan trade routes where gold was traded for salt. Wealthy
merchants lived in these cities. Once the Portuguese explorers started
sailing the seas to trade, however, these landlocked cities fell into ruins.
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Timbuktu: a great trading center and home of an ancient university and
library which contained Greek and Roman books.
Djenne: home of the grand mud-brick mosque
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Page created by Brooks Widmaier
January 2003
HISTORY OF ANCIENT MALI
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Meaning of the word Mali: Mali means "hippopotamus" or "where
the king resides."
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Timeline: 500-1700 . West Africa was home to three rich and
powerful civilizations, each gaining more power than the previous.
These civilizations were called Ghana, Mali and Songhay. Ghana,
known as Land of Gold, was eventually conquered. The next
kingdom to rise was Mali.
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1230: A young, strong, courageous man named Sundiata, became
the king of Mali. Through his great leadership with agriculture and
trade, he was able to build one of the greatest empires ever
known. Future kings continued to increase the power of the empire
and increase its riches through gold and salt trade.
HISTORY OF ANCIENT MALI
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Kings: Mali was ruled by rich and powerful kings. Two of the greatest kings were
Sundiata and Mansu Musa. Sundiata founded the empire of Mali. Sundiata means
"hungering lion" and was called the Lion King of Mali. Mansa Musa ruled Mali in 1300
and doubled its size. Through his actions, he opened the way for Muslim merchants,
scholars, and architects to come to Mali. The king ruled the entire empire and had
control of the gold-salt trade.
Griots: Old French for "Keeper of Memories." This is the term for the singers,
storytellers, historians, and musicians who traditionally retold Mali's history. Griots
exist today in Mali. They are also called Djali's (JAH-lees) or Djeli's (JAY-lees). They often
play musical instruments to accompany their histories. Most of what we know about
Mali's history comes from oral accounts that were handed down from storytellers. In
Mali, the griots were political advisors to the king and memorized all of the history,
which they told through stories, poetry, music, and dance. Families lived in clans and
most of them had a griot who told the family history. The griots were so important to
the king that when one king stole another's griot it was an act of war.
Page created by: Michelle Crabill and Bruce Tiso
Curator: Brooks Widmaier
January 2003
GOVERNMENT OF ANCIENT MALI
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Ancient Mali was ruled by powerful kings. They wore
clothing made of gold and silk thread. Gold bars were
reserved for the kings. Only gold dust was used in
trading. The king's griots or storytellers were the most
powerful griots in the empire.
Famous leaders:
Sundiata Keita: His name means "hungering lion." He
was called the Lion King. He united many people and
built a strong military to protect the trade routes.
Sundiata had his army clear new farmland for planting
crops and introduced cotton which became an
important export. He is known for taking a kingdom and
building an empire. He died after ruling for
approximately 25 years.
GOVERNMENT OF ANCIENT MALI
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Mansa Musa: Mansa means "sultan, emperor or chief." Musa means "Moses." Mansa Musa
become known as Mali's "Black Moses." He also ruled for 25 years and doubled the size of
Mali. He described his kingdom as "a year's journey in length." Mansa Musa was a Muslim and
Islamic law requires that all faithful Muslim's make a visit to the city of Mecca where their
religion was started. This pilgrimage is called a haj. During the haj, Mansa Musa traveled
3,000 miles by camel caravan. He took many powerful people with him so that they would not
take over the country in his absence. He also took a great amount of gold which he spent and
gave away along the route. He had to borrow money for his return trip. Mansa Musa
established the first Islamic university in Timbuktu where scholars studied Arabic, surgical
procedures, science and math. During his rule, the army kept the peace and patrolled the
trade routes. The empire was divided into provinces with its own governor and towns that were
led by a mochrif or mayor.
Online slide show of Sundiata's life.
Online story of Sundiata's life.
Information on Sundiata, a king of ancient Mali.
Website about griots from the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts.
Find out about Mansa Musa.
Page created by: Sang Im and Brooks Widmaier
Curator: Brooks Widmaier
January 2003
ECONOMICS OF ANCIENT MALI
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Natural resources: Water near the Niger River. Gold was
also a resource.
Industries: Farming, mining, trading, defense (army)
Agricultural crops: Beans, rice, onions, sorghum, millet,
papaya, gourds, cattle, sheep, goats, poultry, cotton, and
peanuts.
Exports: Gold
Silent barter: trading without talking. Traders did not
speak each other's language. To perform silent barter,
one tribe would go to a certain location and leave their
goods and depart. Then the other tribe would come and
inspect the goods, and if they liked them, they would
take them and leave their goods. Some of the most
common goods were salt and gold.
ECONOMICS OF ANCIENT MALI
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Interdependence: Mali traded gold for salt. Mali had
gold and its citizens needed salt to preserve their food
and for their bodies. In those days, there were no
refrigerators and by salting the food, it lasted longer.
Salt is also an important mineral for our health. When
we sweat in warm climates, we lose salt. In order to get
more into our bodies we must eat salt.
Economic specialization: Traders, miners, farmers,
blacksmiths, soldiers (army)
Caravans: Camels were ships of the desert. Traders
traveled together in large groups on the trade route. The
caravans were protected by the army.
Page created by: Roxanne Edwards and Nancy Spaulding
Curator: Brooks Widmaier
January 2003
MALI TODAY
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Mali
conventional short form: Mali
former: Gold Coast
 Capital: Bamako
 Flag description: three equal vertical bands of
green, yellow and red.
- Green stands for nature/agriculture
- Yellow stands for wealth (Gold)
- Red stands for sacrifice made by their
forefathers for independence.
The flag was adopted March 1, 1961.
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MALI TODAY
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Nationality: noun: Malian(s)
Currency: franc
Languages: French (official), Bambara 80% and other
numerous African languages
National holiday: Independence Day, September 22
(independence from France in 1960)
Economics: Mali is one of the poorest countries in the world.
About 10% of the population are nomads. 70% of the workers
work in farming and fishing. The main products are cotton,
millet, rice, corn, vegetables and peanuts. Cattle, sheep and
goats are also raised. Cotton is its main export.
Life expectancy: 47 years
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Page created by Brooks Widmaier
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January 2003
MALI SCAVENGER HUNT
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1. On which continent was Ancient Mali located? (H/Ge) ________________
2. What river provided water for farming, laundering (washing) and bathing?
(Ge) ____________________
3. What desert is located in the northwest region of Mali? (Ge) __________
4. Give two reasons why Timbuktu was important in Ancient Mali. (Ge)
_______________________________________________________
5. Who was responsible for passing on stories and traditions from one
generation to the next? (H) __________________
6. Who ruled Ancient Mali? (H/Go) _______________
7. Name one famous ruler of Mali. (H/Go) ___________________________
8. What is known as the “Sea of Sand”? (Ge) __________________________
9. What is a “Ship of the Desert”? (E) __________________________
10.Name two natural resources important to Mali? (E) __________________
11.Which resource did the people of Mali need? (*hint- they traded gold to get
this important resource) (E) ___________________
12.Name three jobs that the people of Ancient Mali specialized in? (E)
_______________________________________________________
13.Name a type of trading where no one needs to talk. (E)
________________________________
14.Who protected the caravans? (Go) _________________
KEY
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Teachers: The letters in parentheses indicate which webpage where the answer can be
located. Several questions have multiple answers and in the word find all answers will be
included. In the crossword puzzle, students must figure out which answer is being used by
the length of the word and the existing letters.
Mali Scavenger Hunt
1. On which continent was Ancient Mali located? (H/Ge) Africa
2. What river provided water for farming, laundering (washing) and bathing? (Ge) Niger
River
3. What desert is located in the northwest region of Mali? (Ge) Sahara Desert
4. Give two reasons why Timbuktu was important in Ancient Mali. (Ge) trade center,
library, university
5. Who was responsible for passing on stories and traditions from one generation to the
next? (H) griots
6. Who ruled Ancient Mali? (H/Go) kings
7. Name one famous ruler of Mali. (H/Go) Sundiata, Mansa Musa
8. What is known as the “Sea of Sand”? (Ge) Sahara Desert
9. What is a “Ship of the Desert”? (E) camel
10. Name two natural resources important to Mali? (E) gold, salt
11. Which resource did the people of Mali need? (*hint- they traded gold to get this
important resource) (E) salt
12. Name three jobs that the people of Ancient Mali specialized in? (E) farming, trading,
mining, army
13. Name a type of trading where no one needs to talk. (E) silent barter
14. Who protected the caravans? (Go) army
OTHER RESOURCES
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http://www.vmfa.state.va.us/mali_geo_hist.ht
ml