1. African Empires Notes

2. Standard: SSWH6 The student will describe the diverse characteristics of early African societies before 1800 CE.

3. Describe the different environments of Africa.
deserts – hot/dry: Sahara and the Kalahari
Sahel – southern edge of Sahara desertification
Rainforest – wet/hot/lots of TREES (tsetse fly)
Mediterranean – the northern coast & southern tip warm, suitable for agriculture
savannas – grasslands

5. Describe the local religions of African people.
They believed in one god, but also believed in spirits inhabiting animals, plants, and natural forces (animism)

6. How did African people share their history and literature?
Story tellers called griots kept history alive passing it from parent to child.

7. Who were the Nok?
Africa’s earliest known culture lived in present day Nigeria 500 BCE-200 CE

8. What are the three causes of migration? Desire for change due to
environment,
economic, and/or
political reasons.

9. What are push-pull factors?
Factors that can push a people out of an area or pull them into an area.

10. 8. Who are the Bantu?
The word Banta means “the people” they migrated from west central Africa almost everywhere in Africa south of the rain forest.

11. 9. Anthropologists believe that the Bantu migrated for what reason?
Anthropologists believe they migrated because of overpopulation

12. What effect did the Bantu migrations have on eastern and southern Africa?
They forced native peoples who were not engaged in agriculture out, but spread ideas, language, agricultural techniques, and metal working

13. According to legend who founded Aksum?
The son of King Solomon (of Israel) and the Queen of Sheba (a country in Southern Arabia)

14. When did Aksum reach its height and who was its ruler?
Between 325 CE and 360 CE under the ruler Ezama.

15. Why do many Christians live in Ethiopia today?
Ezama was taught by a Christian slave. When he took the throne he converted to Christianity and made it Aksum’s official religion

16. What were Aksumite innovations?
New methods of agriculture (terrace farming) canals, dams, and cisterns.

17. What led to the fall of Aksum?
Islamic invaders conquered some territories and isolated them from their trading partners.

18. Nok Culture
Bantu Culture
Aksum