“A Recognized Currency in Beads”: Glass Beads as Money in Nineteenth-century East Africa: the Central Caravan Road

The study of monetary systems in the history of Africa is a subject that by its nature crosses disciplinary boundaries, covering more than 4,000 years of African history and a huge and varied geographical and cultural area. There is a clear need to bring together evidence from fields of study including numismatics, ethnography, archaeology, geography, politics and history, as well as linguistics, literature, religion, and other disciplines. In some of these areas the empirical evidence needs building, and in others there is a need to develop better theoretical understanding. This contribution, looking at the trade routes running inland from the East African coast, shows how beads were used to pay taxes and caravan personnel, as well as to buy food and other necessities. Looking at the ways that demand in Africa affected the Venetian glass industry, she indicates how the choices made by Africans could impact on European interests