Chapter 7 Section 3 African Society and Culture

Aspects of African Society African towns became the centers of government and economic life organized around the marketplace Artisans were skilled in metalworking, woodworking, and pottery making The relationship between kings and subjects benefited both of them Kings heard people’s complaints Merchants paid taxes and kings maintained law and order

Extended families were important to the identity of people Families lived in small round mud dwellings topped with a thatched roof A lineage group was a basic building block of African society All members claimed descent from a common ancestor Elders held power over members of that group Members were expected to care for each other

Women were subordinate to men Women either worked in fields or as merchants African societies were matrilineal- descent was traced through the mother not the father Women could inherit property and men moved in with the woman’s family after marriage Each village had their own proccess for educating the young and preparing them for adulthood

Fathers taught boys to hunt and fish, grow plants and clear fields Mothers taught girls how to care for a house and tend fields Marriage and motherhood was the girls entrance into the community Ritual ceremonies were performed after puberty to introduce girls to adulthood

Slaves were used in Africa since ancient times Slaves were captives, debtors, war prisoners, and criminals Slaves were not seen as inferior Slaves in Muslim societies were able to win their freedom

Religious Beliefs in Africa Most African religions were based on a single creator god Sometimes a group of lesser gods joined the creator god The Ashanti of Ghana believe the sons of the creator god were the lesser gods who make rain and bring the sun People had to appease the gods to avoid their anger Many believed the creator god left Earth over disgust of human behavior

Rituals were used to communicate with the gods Diviners were those who performed the rituals Rituals were also dedicated to ancestors who could influence the lives of their descendants In the afterlife, the soul floated in the atmosphere for eternity as long as family members were praying for them

By the 15 th century, most of Africa was Islamic or Christian

African Culture Early arts served religion Rock paintings from 4000 B.C. show people as hunters and herders Wood carvers made masks and statues that hold the spirits of the gods, or ancestral figures The Nok culture created terra-cotta figures with religious significance 13 th and 14 th c. metal workers created bronze and iron statues

African music and dance also served a religious purpose Dance movements represented spirits expressing themselves through humans African music passed on the history of the community Storytelling served the same purpose for people with no written language