Early Maps and Geographical Descriptions. One way to trace the development of trade and cultural exchange between West Africa and the rest of the world is to look at the evolution of representations of the region in world maps. The fifth century B.C.E. voyages of the Carthaginian Hanno along the Atlantic west coast of Africa to establish a series of Phoenician trading posts resulted in the first recognized "European" on-site reports of the area. Hanno drew brief sketches, rather than actual maps, in his written accounts of the journeys. Exactly how far along the coast he sailed and the location of the area he called "Cerne" are still in dispute. However, it is known that Carthage already knew about the gold mines of the Western Sudan and had already established a trade network to acquire it. Hanno's voyages were attempts...