Early African Civilizations

1. Early African Civilizations Describe the rise and achievements of African civilizations.

2. Geography – largest continent after Asia • Regions – North Africa & Sub-Saharan Africa • Sub-Saharan – savanna, Rift Valley, rain forest, desert

3. Mild zone Desert Savanah Rain Forest

4. Kush – Nubia developed into Kush by 2000 B.C. • Assyria – iron weapons; defeated Egyptians & Kushites, 671 B.C. • Meroe – new capital & center for iron production

5. Axum – founded by Arabs • Location on Red Sea – facilitated prosperity as trading power • Ezana – made Christianity official religion, A.D. 330

8. Axum influnces

9. Communal Eating

10. Ghana – name for “king” & a region;1stgreat trading state • Located between Saharan salt mines & tropical gold mines • Berbers – nomads; camel caravans – “fleets of the desert”

11. The Salt Mines

12. Berbers

13. Fleets of the Desert

14. Mali – “where the king resides” • Sundiata Keita – “lion prince;” brought prosperity in mid-13thcentury • Mansa Musa – greatest king of Mali; introduced Islamic culture • Timbuktu – capital, center of Islamic art & learning

16. Timbuktu

18. Songhai – region along the Niger River • Sunni Ali – early ruler who conquered Timbuktu • Askia Muhammad – “usurper” ruled Songhai Empire at height of glory • Morocco – defeated the Songhai in A.D. 1589

19. Bantu Kingdoms – Central & South Africa • Bantu migrations – West Africa to other parts of continent • Bantu – became language spoken by many groups • Great Zimbabwe – “stone house;” largest fortress; no mortar

20. Great Zimbabwe

21. East Africa – trade with South Asia began as early as 500 B.C. • Coastal city-states: Kilwa, Mombasa, Mogadishu • Blending of cultures – adopted Islam & Islamic culture • Swahili – Bantu-based, Arabic-influenced language

22. Aspects of society – reliance on oral tradition • Lineage groups – claimed descent from common ancestor • Women – subordinate to men; valued for work & child raising • Matrilineal – traced descent thru mother • Patrilineal – traced descent thru father • Education – boys & girls raised together until age six • Girls – “house of the women,” home & field work • Boys – “house of the men,” hunt, fish, grow crops • Initiation ceremonies at puberty • Slavery – an ancient practice in Africa

23. Religious beliefs – polytheistic • Animism - souls inhabit all or most objects • Communicated with gods thru ritual • Diviner – power to foretell events • Ancestors – important because they were closer to the gods • Islam – challenged but did not replace religious beliefs

24. Animism

25. Culture – art was meant to express religious conviction • Rock paintings – earliest art form, 4000 B.C. • Dance – means to communicate with the spirits • Music – words served to transmit legends & traditions • Griots – storytellers who kept alive a people’s history

26. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3VAkeWvKBE

27. Griot