The gods were worshiped as the givers of the kindly fruits of the earth, and salt was usually included in sacrificial offerings consisting wholly or partly of cereal elements. Such offerings were prevalent among the Greeks and Romans and among a number of the Semitic peoples. Covenants were ordinarily made over a sacrificial meal, in which salt was a necessary element. The preservative qualities of salt made it a peculiarly fitting symbol of an enduring compact, sealing it with an obligation to fidelity. The word salt thus acquired connotations of high esteem and honour in ancient and modern languages.
Salt contributes greatly to our knowledge of the ancient highways of commerce.
Herodotus tells of a caravan route that united the salt oases of the Libyan Desert. Cakes of salt have been used as money in Ethiopia and elsewhere in Africa and in Tibet.