Water, air, shelter, sleep, and food—these are the basic requirements for human survival. Within this latter category are a variety of nutrients, including micronutrients, such as sodium. This chemical element is commonly obtained through the consumption of table salt (sodium chloride) and is vital for survival. Without adequate sodium, the human body may experience muscle cramps, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, shock, coma, and, ultimately, death (Adrogué & Madias, 2000; He et al., 2020; Huang et al., 2020; Jamal et al., 2015; Lewis, 2022; Verbalis et al., 2010, 2013). In addition to being a physiological necessity, salt was, and still is, valued for its culinary qualities, its curative properties, and its ability to preserve food and ward off the effects of decay and decomposition (Beauchamp et al., 1987; Bloch, 1963; Davidson & Taylor, 2007; Fennema, 1996; Fregly, 1980; Potter & Hotchkiss, 1995; Shelef & Seiter, 2005). Today, it is cheaply produced, easily acquired, and often consumed in abundance with deleterious effects (MacGregor & de Wardener, 1998; Matos, 2015; Multhauf, 1978; Nayar et al., 2019; Oria et al., 2019), but for the majority of human history, this was not the case (Adshead, 1992; Multhauf, 1978). Societies and individuals whose needs for salt were not met through regular dietary consumption—usually sodium-rich, animal-based foods— had to acquire this geographically circumscribed resource either themselves or indirectly through others. This need often led to the establishment or expansion of economic and societal exchange networks, the creation of new economic policies and practices, increased competition, and, on occasion, violence.