Wealth of Metals. Africa's wealth of metals made it a natural place to develop mining and metallurgy technologies. Iron, gold, copper, and salt are among the most notable of West Africa's resources mined between 500 and 1590. Lateritic iron (iron on or near the surface of the soil) was exploited throughout West Africa from at least 1000 B.C.E. (Laterite soil contains both iron oxide and iron hydroxide and has been formed from the humus soil of tropical rain forest areas.) Al-Bakri noted the availability of iron resources in the Western Sudan when he wrote that a series of mountains called Adrar an Wuzzal (Mountain of Iron) by the Berbers was located between Sijilmasa and Koumbi-Saleh. In addition, Ibn Battuta described areas near Takadda, called ahsa, where wet sand was found on top of flat rocks. If a white cloth were dropped on...