The Songhai Empire's Lost Hippo Ivory Trade

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore a forgotten economic backbone of the Songhai Empire: the trade in hippo ivory from the Niger River. While elephant ivory gets the attention, hippo ivory from the Sorko hunters was prized across the Sahel and even reached North Africa. We trace how the Sorko, the riverine specialists who supplied the empire's ivory, operated their hunting traditions, the role of the fari-mondio in regulating trade, and how this resource connected Songhai to markets as far as the Mediterranean. We also examine why hippo ivory largely vanished from historical records after the Saadian invasion, and what archaeological evidence tells us about its use in Timbuktu and Gao. Specific names and terms include: Sorko, fari-mondio, Tarikh al-Sudan, Al-Sa'di, Niger River, hippo ivory, Dendi, Gao, Timbuktu, Saadian, Taghaza, Leo Africanus. #SonghaiEmpire #HippoIvory #Sorko #NigerRiver #FariMondio #TarikhAlSudan #WestAfricanTrade #Gao #Timbuktu #SahelEconomy #IvoryTrade #SaadianInvasion #Dendi #LeoAfricanus #AlSadi #History #FexingoHistory #AfricaBeforeColonialism Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo