Salt as Currency: A Glimpse Into the 1969 Bati Monday Market in Ethiopia
In short: This archival footage captures the vibrant commerce of the 1969 Bati Monday Market. It offers a rare look at traditional trade practices, including the use of salt slabs as a form of currency, providing a window into the economic and daily life of the region during that era.
The 1969 footage documents a bustling marketplace where salt slabs, protected by reed strips, served as money and were measured using gourds. The market was a hub for essential goods, featuring grain, poultry, medicinal items, and farm tools. Observations of the period reveal specific cultural practices, such as the use of butter on braided hair and skin, alongside the practicalities of trade, where batteries and stones functioned as weights for balance scales.
Beyond the market, the film records the logistics of rural life, showing camels and donkeys being loaded for transport and the daily routines of villagers, including washing dishes in rivers and managing water sources. The scenes transition from the market at Bati to the road toward Sardo and Kombolcha, documenting the landscape, architecture, and the environmental conditions of the time, such as a river in flood.
Opens the Intellect+ feed with this card first. Swipe up for the next one.
Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Ethiopia 1969 Reel 2 of 65
To cite this card, link to https://intellectplus.co.uk/app/history-ethiopia-1969-reel-2-of-65.
How we source, check and correct cards: Editorial standards.
General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.
Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?
Related
More in History · Latest · A–Z · All topics
