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13 Chapter One: History

The Chinese were one of the first civilizations to extract salt from the earth. Some 8,000 years ago, in what is today the northern province of Shanxi, an ancient saltworks bustled with activity. The area was the scene of constant fighting, with warring factions trying to control Yunchen Salt Lake, a reservoir of salty water. Each summer, the lake water evaporated, allowing people to harvest crystals of salt. Trade Routes The earliest written account of salt mining was published in China some 4,700 years ago. The writer described 40 kinds of salt, along with the various ways to mine the Salt and War Throughout history, tempers often flared as governments established taxes on salt and created monopolies over its trade. Wars were fought in China and parts of Africa over these monopolies. The Chinese government paid for the construction of the Great Wall of China, designed to keep out invaders from the north, with salt.

The Great Wall of China.