Ancient Africa 1500 B C 1500 A D

Ancient Africa 1500 B. C. – 1500 A. D.

African Geography l l Desert • • Sahara dominates northern Africa Kalahari largest desert in southern Africa • Best areas for herd animals and growing of grains • • Diverse life forms and natural resources, very difficult to travel through or live in Tsetse flies • Small region in northern Africa that supports abundant life Savanna Rainforest Mediterranean

Tsetse Fly & African Sleeping Sickness

Early Sub-Saharan African Life l l East Africa was the beginning of human life • “Lucy” • Masi and other groups still practice • • • Permanent settlements develop Animism = ? Griots = ? • Nok Culture (Niger River Valley) Nomadic herders Agriculture develops (~6, 000 B. C. ) West African Iron Age • • Trade city of Djenne-Djeno Use of Iron tools

Push-Pull Factors l 3 main migration factors • Environmental • Economic • Political

Migration of the Bantu Peoples l l Where did they come from? Where did they go? How did they adapt to each region? • • • Slash & burn Raising cattle Adopting new crops Why did they migrate? • Agriculture led to more land use and great population

Effects of Bantu Migration l Forced interaction between different groups (Ba. Mbuti and San) • l l l Some mixed, some left, some fought Brought new technologies to regions Brought Bantu ideas about politics and social organization Centralized language branch throughout the continent

Kingdom of Aksum l l South of Kush • Modern day Ethiopia and Eritrea International trade center (Adulis) • • Caravans to Egypt through Meroe Access to Mediterranean Sea & Indian Ocean through Red Sea • Exported: salt, ivory, emeralds, • gold Imported: cloth, glass, wine, iron, copper

Kingdom of Aksum (cont. ) l Ezana (325 – 360 A. D. ) • • • l Expanded territory into Arabian Peninsula (modern day Yemen) Conquered Kush Converted to Christianity • Made official religion for Aksum Decline &Isolation • • Islamic invaders began to cut into the empire and take-over trade routes Moved to the mountains of northern Ethiopia • Remained isolated for a few hundred years

West African Societies

Ghana (700 – 1076 A. D. ) l l l Use of camels led to development of the trans-Sahara trade routes Gold-Salt Trade • • Arab and Berber traders Gold from western Africa, salt from Sahara Empire of Ghana developed from taxing trade routes Ghana’s kings convert to Islam • Led to literacy (learning to read the Qur’an) 1076 – Muslim Almoravids conquered

Mali (1235 – 1400 s) l l Gold deposits east of Ghana allowed Mali empire to gain wealth and power by moving the trade routes 2 important leaders • Sundiata • Mansa Musa (1312 – 1332) • • • United Mali Led to period of peace and prosperity Muslim leader Expanded empire to twice the size of Ghana Hajj to Mecca in 1324 -1325 exposed riches of Mali to Arab peninsula New trade centers develop (Timbuktu and Gao)

Songhai (1400 s – 1500 s) l l Gained control of trade routes due to gold deposits near Niger River (Gao) 2 important leaders • • l Sunni Ali • • • Muslim leader Conquered Timbuktu & Djenne Military hero Askia Muhammad • • • Overthrew Sunni Ali’s son Spread more orthodox Islam Efficient and fair ruler Conquered by Moroccans in 1591 (guns)

East Coast Trade Cities l Islamic Influence • • • l l New trade centers on Indian Ocean after fall of Aksum Spread Muslim religion along trade routes Slave trade Swahili language group • Mix of Bantu & Arabic City-states • Kilwa, Sofala, Mogadishu Great Zimbabwe (1200 s – 1450) • • • Shona people’s in south-eastern Africa Controlled trade routes Disappeared suddenly Portuguese Conquest (1488)