 Great civilizations in West Africa arose  A. in the Sahara Desert  B. along the Atlantic coast.  C. along the Niger River.  D. in the Atlas Mountains.

None of the early African empires developed a written language. How would people pass down traditions and history if they can’t write it down?

When people lack a written language they use spoken words to record their history. Does your family have some stories that they tell again and again??

 Griots were West African storytellers  They were highly respected  Their job was to remember and pass on their people’s history  They had to remember hundreds of names and events

 Griots passed on more than stories, they also recited proverbs  Proverbs are short sayings of wisdom or truth

“It takes a village to raise a child.” “Talking doesn't fill the basket in the farm.” “Rats don't dance in the cat's doorway.”

 Epics are long poems about kingdoms and heroes  The Sundiata is an epic about Mali’s king Sundiata  The epic tells how Sundiata’s family was killed by a conqueror when he was a boy, but Sundiata was spared because he looked weak. As a grown man, Sundiata overthrew the conquering king.

 Much of what we know about West Africa comes from the writings of Muslim travelers and scholars  Ibn Battutah described the political and cultural lives of West Africans  Europeans learned about Africa from another traveler/writer named Leo Africanus Ibn Battutah’s travels

 West Africa was famous for its statues made of wood, brass, clay, ivory, stone  Sculptures of people were often used for ancestor worship  African artists were deeply respected Pablo Picasso was influenced by African artBronze sculpture, Mali, 1500s

 Carved masks of animals used for dance rituals  A cloth called Kente was used for special occasions  Kente cloth is a hand-woven, brightly colored fabric Antelope mask, West Africa

 Music and dance were forms of entertainment and helped people honor their history  Dancing used for celebration at weddings, funerals

 The griots of Africa used oral tradition to pass down their histories by a. translating and teaching the Sunnah. b. writing and printing manuscripts. c. composing and carving hieroglyphics. d. reciting proverbs and telling stories.

 How was music and dance incorporated into the lives of the people of early West Africa? a. It played only a small role. b. Children were taught that music and dance were evil forms of entertainment. c. It was entertainment and also a way to celebrate their history and other important events. d. Only very important citizens were allowed to play music or dance.