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Africa Chapter 1
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A Wall Painting A wall painting from an Egyptian tomb shows Nubians carrying baskets and beads. Nubia had close cultural ties to ancient Egypt.
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I. A Huge and Diverse Land
Second largest continent in the world From North to South A succession of climatic zones Desert, savannah, rain forest, mountain ranges
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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.
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II. Birthplace of Humanity
Fossil and genetic evidence Out-of-Africa model Modern humans emerged 200,000 years ago Migrated to the rest of the world 100,000 years ago “Eve” model All modern humans from a single African woman
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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
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III. Ancient Civilizations
Egypt and the Nile River Valley Mesopotamia and Sumer Race debate Martin Bernal Black Egyptians colonized ancient Greece Became the progenitors of Western civilization Mary Lefkowitz Modern racial categories irrelevant to ancient Egypt Egypt influenced Greek and Western civilization
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Ancient Egypt and Nubia
Map 1–2. Ancient Egypt and Nubia.
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Egyptian Civilization
Nile River Annual flooding irrigates River banks and deposits new Wheat, barely, goats, sheep, and cattle Transportation and communications artery
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Egyptian Society Patrilineal/patriarchal Hierarchical Male dominated
Warriors, priests, merchants, artisans, peasants Comprehensive bureaucracy
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Egyptian Society (cont.)
Women Owned property Managed household slaves Educated their children Held public office Served as priests Operated businesses
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Egyptian Society (cont.)
Polytheistic religion Re (Ra): the sun god Osiris: god of the Nile Immortality Personal and state combined in kings Elaborate funerary
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Kush, Meroë and Axum Nubia Kush Meroë Axum
Egyptian colony ~ copper and gold deposits Kush Nubian independent kingdom Meroë Africa’s first industrial center Iron deposits and geographic location Axum First Christian state in sub-Saharan Africa Influenced by Hebrew culture
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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.
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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
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IV. West Africa Physically, ethnically, and culturally diverse
Savannah and forest Home to a variety of cultures and languages Cultivated crops Tended domesticated animals Produced iron tools and weapons Trade with North Africa Essential part of the economy and kingdoms
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Ancient Ghana First known kingdom in the western Sudan Commerce
Founded between fourth and eight centuries CE Warfare and iron weapons created an empire Commerce Camel caravans Imported silk, cotton, glass beads, horses, mirrors, dates, and salt Exported pepper, slaves, and gold mined in another region and taxed passing through Commerce and religion destroyed Ghana in the 12th century
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Empire of Mali, 1230-1468 Battle of Kirina Larger than Ghana Sundiata
Reigned Led the Mandinka to victory over the Sosso in 1235 Larger than Ghana Greater rainfall More crops Control of Wangara gold mines Population reached eight million
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Empire of Mali (cont.) Commerce, bureaucracy and scholarship Timbuktu
Most merchants and rulers Converted to gain stature among Arab states Timbuktu Major trading hub Gold, slaves, and salt Center of Islamic learning ~13th century 150 Islamic schools Cosmopolitan community Religious and ethnic toleration common
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Empire of Mali (cont.) Mansa Musa Reigned 1312-1337
Pilgrimage across Africa to Mecca in Arabia Empire declined with Musa’s death
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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 Mali dominated the western Sudan from 1230 to 1468.
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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.
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Empire of Songhai, The last and largest of the Sudanese empires Sunni Ali Reigned Conquered people paid tribute Generally ran their own affairs
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Empire of Songhai (cont.)
-- Askia Muhammad Toure Reigned Devout Moslem Expanded empire Centralized administration of the empire Substituted taxation for tribute Established bureaucratic trade regulation Used his power to spread Islam within the empire
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Empire of Songhai (cont.)
Askia Daud Reigned Songhai failed to adapt to changing political atmosphere Portuguese established trading centers along the Guinea coast Arab rulers of North Africa threatened with loss of trade King of Morocco sent mercenaries to Songhai in 1591 Defeated the Songhai army and empire fell apart when Moroccans left the region West Africa without a government powerful enough to stop the Portuguese
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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
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West and Central Africa, c. 1500
Map 1–4. West and Central Africa, c 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.
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West African Forest Region
Cultural diversification Divided labor by gender Lived in villages composed of extended families Patchwork of diverse ethnic groups Variety of languages and traditions Small powerful kingdoms Benin City Little influenced by Islam or Christianity Trading center Gold, peppers, ivory, and slaves By 17th century dependent on slave trade
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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
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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.
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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.
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V. Kongo and Angola Kongo-Angola region
Trade with the interior of the continent Late 15th century rulers more welcoming of Portuguese Nzinga Mbemba tried to convert kingdom to Christianity Unrest, Portuguese greed, and slave trade destroy the kingdom
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VI. West African Society and Culture
Most were farmers Villages and hamlets Extended families and clans Some patrilineal, others matrilineal Produced cotton for clothes Variety of crops Millet, rice, sorghum, peas, okra, watermelons Yams replaced grains in the forest regions
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Women Served as government officials in ancient Ghana
Enslaved women in the royal court of Dahomey also held official posts Increased sexual freedoms West African women could have male friends apart from relatives
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Women (cont.) Sande: a secret society for women
Taught sex education to girls Initiated into adulthood (Poro: male secret society) Both societies established standards of Male and female conduct Emphasized female virtue and male honor
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Class and Slavery Lower classes Royalty
Landed nobles, warriors, peasants and bureaucrats Lower classes Artisans and laborers: blacksmiths, butchers, tanners, and oral historians called griots Slavery Common in West Africa More so in the savannah region than in forest areas Variety of forms Not necessarily a permanent condition
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Class and Slavery (cont.)
Islamic regions Masters responsible for slaves’ religious well-being Non-Islamic regions’ children of slaves Legal rights Not to be sold from the land they occupied Slaves in royal courts or in the armies Owned property and often held power over free people Agricultural slaves Less fortunate Work and privilege for second and third generation offspring similar to free people
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Religion 15th century West Africa Islam Monotheistic
Introduced by Arab traders More prevalent in cosmopolitan areas The religion of merchants and bureaucrats Fostered learning and building mosques in West African cities
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Religion (cont.) Indigenous religions Strongest in forest areas
Polytheistic and animistic One creator God and a host of lesser gods Saw the force of God in all things Ancestor worship, magicians, and oracles Ceremonies and animal sacrifices
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Art and Music Related to religious practices
Excelled in woodcarving and sculpture Wooden masks and terra-cotta figurines Used in funerals, medical practices, and in coming-of-age ceremonies Musical instruments Drums, xylophones, bells, flutes, and mbanzas
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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.
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Literature Oral histories, poetry, and tales
Specially trained poets and musicians Served kings and nobles Views of common people also represented Prose tales Human characters Tales about creation, success, romance Animal characters “Trickster tales” Entertained and taught lessons
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Events in Africa — World Events
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Events in Africa — World Events
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Events in Africa — World Events
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Events in Africa — World Events
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VII. Conclusion The history of African Americans begins in West Africa. Family organization, work habits, language, religious beliefs, legends, and more came to America and influenced the way African Americans and others lived in their new land.
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