- Salt: Salt was a precious commodity due to its value in preserving food and flavoring dishes. Nomads mined and transported salt to exchange with farmers and settled communities.
- Gold: Desert regions like West Africa's Sahel were known for their gold mines. Nomads played a crucial role in the gold trade, transporting it on caravans to regions such as North Africa, the Middle East, and Europe.
- Livestock: Nomads raised animals like camels, horses, goats, and sheep. They traded livestock for grains, produce, and other goods produced by agricultural societies.
- Meat and dairy products: Nomads also supplied meat and dairy products, such as cheese, yogurt, and dried meats to settled populations.
- Handicrafts: Depending on the region, nomadic communities produced textiles, pottery, and jewelry that they traded with neighboring settlements.
- Spices and incense: Desert regions like Arabia were known for producing and trading valuable spices such as frankincense, myrrh, and saffron.
- Slaves: Unfortunately, the trans-Saharan trade also included the exchange of slaves, and some nomadic groups participated in the slave trade to acquire other goods.
- Ivory and ostrich feathers: Nomads involved in trans-Saharan trade also transported ivory and ostrich feathers which had high value in different markets.
- Dyes and pigments: Certain desert regions had access to unique dyes and pigments that were used in various industries.
It's important to note that these are general trends in the trade practices of desert nomads, and specific goods traded could vary based on the specific region and historical period.