There are some ancient Egyptian sources that describe the Libu as being pale-skinned, red-haired and blue-eyed. This was at a time before the Sardinian/Greek colonies in that area. I always wondered how the heck that happened, if true.
I wonder if Mansa Musa had or other earlier monarchs had access to the mines.
Arabic: منسا موسى, romanized: Mansā Mūsā; r. c. 1312 – c. 1337[a]) was the ninth mansa of the Mali Empire, which reached its territorial peak during his reign. Musa is known for his wealth and gift-giving, and has sometimes been called one of the wealthiest people in history, though this claim is difficult to evaluate.
Some sources may have "disappeared" as North Africa became increasingly dry, driving people away from areas where the gold could have easily been found otherwise.
“The king had a fleet of trading ships of Tarshish that sailed with Hiram’s fleet. Once every three years the ships returned, loaded with gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.”
I like your line of thought. This makes considerable sense. A distinct and little-known species, the Congo peacock, inhabits African rain forests.
In his ‘Tigris Expedition’ Author/Explorer Thor Heyerdahl writes of massive papyrus ships ( mentioned several times in the Old Testament) that plied the seas carrying huge amounts of trade goods around the region of the Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean. People today don’t appreciate just how vibrant international trade was in those ancient days. Fascinating article! Thank you!
It is difficult to conceive that such a valuable mine could be lost since people living around there would have known of it. And passed it along. It would have been raided at the first opportunity.
One alternative theory might that the mine was sealed off and the landscape changed via natural movements, wars and time.
Are you suggesting a theme of something being hidden in plain sight right now with respect to "their" machinations?
This was a LOT of gold, which required an even greater amount of ore. That would make for dozens of mine openings needing to be sealed off. Plus thousands of workers you would need to kill in order to get the knowledge to die.
A river solves much of this, because any one known location, taps out after a while of artisanal exploitation.
Yes, hiding in plain sight is a key trick of intelligence which needs to be held above Black Top Secret.
I've been told one of the richest sources of gold in America was once found in north Georgia, but that it was basically one vein that was completely mined out long before people were moving to California.
Perhaps there was something to the expression " a river of gold."
(Another trick of intel to hide super-duper secret is NOT to put a label on it!
What puzzles me is who has the power or clearance to classify something at a particular level? Classification means nothing if it cannot be enforced. And who enforces the classification schemes?
Yes, intel clearance is the ultimate power; civilian and military ranks are nothing in intel.)
This is the kind of thinking I like about history. Now do the Richat Structure is the source of Atlantis myth from the time of wet North Africa.
Brilliantly surmised. So logical. Can you opine at all on the Berber culture...and their blue and green eyes?
There are some ancient Egyptian sources that describe the Libu as being pale-skinned, red-haired and blue-eyed. This was at a time before the Sardinian/Greek colonies in that area. I always wondered how the heck that happened, if true.
I wonder if Mansa Musa had or other earlier monarchs had access to the mines.
Arabic: منسا موسى, romanized: Mansā Mūsā; r. c. 1312 – c. 1337[a]) was the ninth mansa of the Mali Empire, which reached its territorial peak during his reign. Musa is known for his wealth and gift-giving, and has sometimes been called one of the wealthiest people in history, though this claim is difficult to evaluate.
From my experience, it required a monarch strong enough to unite the tribes. Otherwise commerce just decayed into... tribalism... 8)
I was thinking that old game of lost and found. Over a few thousand years.
Some sources may have "disappeared" as North Africa became increasingly dry, driving people away from areas where the gold could have easily been found otherwise.
Yes possible. Geoarcheology is hard at work. 1976-Saudi Arabia. https://www.nytimes.com/1976/05/24/archives/solomons-mine-believed-found.html
Copper mines found in Southern Israel. https://armstronginstitute.org/774-fuel-from-king-solomons-mines-analyzed-revealing-peak-output
“The king had a fleet of trading ships of Tarshish that sailed with Hiram’s fleet. Once every three years the ships returned, loaded with gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.”
I like your line of thought. This makes considerable sense. A distinct and little-known species, the Congo peacock, inhabits African rain forests.
I had seen commentary about 'peacocks' but could not find a resource, can you help point me to it?
Thanks Stegiel!
EVG
TES
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/facts/peacocks#:~:text=The%20blue%20peacock%20lives%20in%20India%20and%20Sri,and%20kept%20as%20pets%20for%20thousands%20of%20years.
Also-https://thewebsiteofeverything.com/animals/birds/Galliformes/Phasianidae/Afropavo-congensis
In his ‘Tigris Expedition’ Author/Explorer Thor Heyerdahl writes of massive papyrus ships ( mentioned several times in the Old Testament) that plied the seas carrying huge amounts of trade goods around the region of the Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean. People today don’t appreciate just how vibrant international trade was in those ancient days. Fascinating article! Thank you!
Thanks, TES. You made a plausible submission.
It is difficult to conceive that such a valuable mine could be lost since people living around there would have known of it. And passed it along. It would have been raided at the first opportunity.
One alternative theory might that the mine was sealed off and the landscape changed via natural movements, wars and time.
Are you suggesting a theme of something being hidden in plain sight right now with respect to "their" machinations?
This was a LOT of gold, which required an even greater amount of ore. That would make for dozens of mine openings needing to be sealed off. Plus thousands of workers you would need to kill in order to get the knowledge to die.
A river solves much of this, because any one known location, taps out after a while of artisanal exploitation.
Yes, hiding in plain sight is a key trick of intelligence which needs to be held above Black Top Secret.
TES
I've been told one of the richest sources of gold in America was once found in north Georgia, but that it was basically one vein that was completely mined out long before people were moving to California.
Thanks, TES.
Yes.
Perhaps there was something to the expression " a river of gold."
(Another trick of intel to hide super-duper secret is NOT to put a label on it!
What puzzles me is who has the power or clearance to classify something at a particular level? Classification means nothing if it cannot be enforced. And who enforces the classification schemes?
Yes, intel clearance is the ultimate power; civilian and military ranks are nothing in intel.)
As to the workers killed off: covid!