7. The Songhai Empire - Africa's Age of Gold
Fall of Civilizations Podcast
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The Imperial Cycle in West Africa
Until around the year 300, horses were the main mode of transportation in west africa. And a horse, while strong and fast on hard ground, is poorly suited to the harsh environment and shifting sands of the desert. In july and august, daytime temperatures in the sahara reach 50 degrees centigrade - over 100 fahrenheit. The most deadly of these is known as the semum or poison wind which can transfer more heat to the human body than it's possible to lose through the evaporation of sweat.
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