Africa Chapter 1

The Craftsmen of the Kingdom of Benin The craftsmen of the Kingdom of Benin gained wide renown for the bronze reliefs they produced. This plaque portrays a king on horseback flanked by two attendants. SOURCE: British Museum, London/Bridgeman Art Library, London/SuperStock

A Wall Painting A wall painting from an Egyptian tomb shows Nubians carrying baskets and beads. Nubia had close cultural ties to ancient Egypt.

Africa: Climatic Regions and Early Sites Map 1–1. Africa: Climatic Regions and Early Sites Africa is a large continent with several climatic zones. It is also the home of several early civilizations.

Fossilized Bones Anthropologists discovered these fossilized bones of a female australopithecus afarenisis, nicknamed “Lucy,” in 1974 at Hadar, Ethiopia. Dated to 3.2 million years ago, Lucy’s bones are among the more famous in the world. They provide strong evidence that human origins lay in Africa. SOURCE: The Cleveland Museum of Natural History

Ancient Egypt and Nubia Map 1–2. Ancient Egypt and Nubia

The Ruined Pyramids of Meroë The ruined pyramids of Meroë on the banks of the upper Nile River are not as old as those at Giza in Egypt, and they differ from them stylistically. But they nonetheless attest to the cultural connections between Meroë and Egypt.

Giant Stele at Axum This giant stele at Axum demonstrates the spread of Egyptian architecture into what is today Ethiopia. Probably erected during the first century CE, before Axum converted to Christianity, this is the last of its kind still standing. SOURCE: Copyright Werner Forman/Art Resource, NY

The Empires of Ghana and Mali Map 1–3. The Empires of Ghana and Mali The western Sudanese empires of Ghana and Mali helped shape West African culture. Ghana existed from as early as the fourth century CE to 1076. Mali dominated the western Sudan from 1230 to 1468.

Mansa Musa Portrayed on Catalan Atlas Mansa Musa, who ruled the West African Empire of Mali from 1312 to 1337, is portrayed at the bottom center of this portion of the fourteenth-century Catalan Atlas. Musa’s crown, scepter, throne, and the huge gold nugget he displays symbolize his power and wealth.

The Nok People The Nok people of what is today Nigeria produced terra-cotta sculptures like this one during the first millennium BCE. They also pioneered, between 500 and 450 BCE, iron-smelting in West Africa. SOURCE: Nigeria, Nok head, 900 BC–200 AD, Rafin Kura, Nok. Prehistoric West African sculpture from the Nok culture. Terracotta, 36 cms high. © Werner Forman/Art Resource, NY

West and Central Africa, c. 1500 Map 1–4. West and Central Africa, c. 1500 This map shows the Empire of Songhai (1464–1591), the Kongo kingdom (c. 1400–1700), and the major kingdoms of the West African forest region.

The Great Mosque The great mosque at the West African city of Jenne was first built during the fourteenth century CE. It demonstrates the importance of Islam in the region’s trading centers. SOURCE: Roderick J. McIntosh, Rice University

A Yoruba King This life-size bust of a Yoruba king—perhaps Obalufon II—is one of fifteen found in the city of Ife. It dates to the thirteenth century CE, at which time it represented the continuing influence of the deceased king’s spirit on the living. SOURCE: Head of a king, from Ife. c. 13th century CE. Brass, height 11 7/160 (29 cm). © Frank Willett

Ceremonial Offering Bowl This carved wooden ceremonial offering bowl is typical of a Yoruba art form that has persisted for centuries. It reflects religious practices as well as traditional hairstyle and dress.

Trans-Saharan Trade Routes Map 1–5. Trans-Saharan Trade Routes Ancient trade routes connected sub-Saharan West Africa to the Mediterranean coast. Among the commodities carried southward were silk, cotton, horses, and salt. Among those carried northward were gold, ivory, pepper, and slaves.

Wooden Harp This six-string wooden harp is a rare example of the type of instrument West African musicians and storytellers used to accompany themselves.