1. Non Egyptian Ancient African Civilizations
World History
Libertyville High School

2. Nubia After New Kingdom failed, Nubians regained independence
Area between First through Fifth cataracts of Nile
Conquered by Egypt around 2000 BC
Served as major trading center between Egypt, African societies
After New Kingdom failed, Nubians regained independence
Saw selves as TRUE Egyptians
Adopted Egyptian titles, customs
Invaded, ruled Egypt as pharaohs
Defeated by Assyrians

3. Western Africa and the Sahara
Evidence of human settlers in W Africa from BC
Ca BC, herders, dry farming communities
Ca 3000 BC, Sahara savannah began turning into a desert
Farmers, herders, migrated towards coasts
Desertification isolated W Africa coastal peoples

4. West African Societies
Urban Development
Earliest stone walled towns developed around 2000 BC
Towns emerged ca BC in Sahel (S of Sahara)
All towns in Sahel grew up around oases or rivers

5. Western Africa and the Sahara
Around 400 BC, contact re-established with North Africa & trade resumed
Traded gold from SW for salt, iron goods from N
Diffusion of iron production gave W Africans big advantage over neighbors
ability to expand farming
Made better weapons
Formed city-states and empires in the AD period
Later expanded culture S

6. West African Societies
Bantu Migrations
Bantu = N-Central African language group
Migrated into equatorial rain forests & African Highlands
Imposed language, spread iron smelting & high yield agriculture (a.k.a cultural diffusion!)
Founded Great Zimbabwe Kingdom around 800 AD

7. Sub-Saharan (Central and Southern) Africa to 600 BC
Political organization: none (family groups)
Hunter-gatherers
Technological development = stone, bone tech
Religion
Animism: spirits of natural world, animals, geographic locations

8. Why Didn’t Complex Society Develop in Sub Saharan Africa?
Persistence of hunter-gatherer bands
Abundance of game
Lack of external (human) threats to lifestyle = stayed the same
Persistence of subsistence farming
Lack of high yield crops = low incentive to farm
Lack of domesticable animals = no incentive to herd
Lack of irrigable waterways = no way to irrigate
Geographic considerations
Lack of natural harbors = no trade or contact with other civs
Geographic barriers (Sahara) assured isolation