Salt, also referred to as table salt or by its chemical formula NaCl, is an ionic compound made of sodium and chloride ions. All life depends on its chemical properties to survive. It has been used by humans for thousands of years, from food preservation to seasoning. Salt's ability to preserve food was a founding contributor to the development of civilization. It helped eliminate dependence on seasonal availability of food, and made it possible to transport food over large distances. However, salt was often difficult to obtain, so it was a highly valued trade item, and was considered a form of currency by certain people. Many salt roads, such as the Via Salaria in Italy, had been established by the Bronze Age.
Collected salt mounds
Naturally formed salt crystals
Ancient method of boiling brine into pure salt in China
The Sečovlje Saltworks on the Northern Adriatic Sea were probably started in Antiquity and were first mentioned in 804 in the document on Placitum of Riziano.
A salt road refers to any of the prehistoric and historical trade routes by which essential salt was transported to regions that lacked it.
Sign for historic salt road in Bavaria
A camel train for salt transportation in Afar Region of Ethiopia