| Section 1: Before money: Barter | Previous | Next | Section Index |
| Crude salt was often in demand Traders from the seacoasts found that inland traders in salt-poor areas were always ready to barter for salt. For centuries salt was a common form of payment, and "salarium," the Latin word for the money given to Roman soldiers to buy salt, is the origin of the word "salary." |
 |
| Section Index |
|