Chapter 3 Early African Societies and the Bantu
Chapter 3 Early African Societies and the Bantu Migrations 1 Copyright © 2006 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display.
Africa: Geography n n n North: q mountainous coastline Sahara desert West: q interior grasslands, tropical jungle on coast East (on Indian ocean): Central: Jungles South: hills, plateaus, deserts 2 Copyright © 2006 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display.
Development of African Agriculture Sahara desert originally highly fertile region n Western Sudan region nomadic herders, c. 9000 BCE n q q Domestication of cattle c. 7500 BCE Later, cultivation of sorghum, yams, increasingly diverse 3 Copyright © 2006 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display.
The Gift of the Nile n n Gradual, predictable flooding Communication: q q n Nubia-Egypt Sub-Saharan Africa. Mesopotamia Increased in importance w/dessication of Sahara 4 Copyright © 2006 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display.
Early Agriculture in Nile Valley 5000 BCE Sudanese cultivators, herders migrate to Nile river valley n Adaption to seasonal flooding of Nile n q Villages dot Nile by 4000 BCE 5 Copyright © 2006 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display.
Impact on Political Organization n n Mesopotamia: grand public works to control flash floods Egypt: simple, local irrigation projects Rural rather than heavily urban development Trade networks develop 6 Copyright © 2006 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display.
The Span of Egyptian History n n Early Nubian domination Manetho, Egyptian priest/historian q Archaic Period: 3100 -2660 BCE q Old Kingdom, 2660 -2160 BCE n pyramids q Middle Kingdom, 2160 -1640 BCE n Hyksos invasion q New Kingdom, 1550 -1075 BCE (see map, c. 1400 BCE) 7 Copyright © 2006 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display.
Unification of Egypt n Pharaoh Menes, c. 3100 Unites Egypt Memphis q Instituted the rule of the Pharaoh q n n n Claimed descent from the gods Absolute rulers, Most powerful during Archaic Period (31002660 BCE) and Old Kingdom (2660 -2160 BCE) 8 Copyright © 2006 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display.
The Pyramids n n n Early architecture from Old Kingdom Tallest buildings in the world until 19 th century Role: burial chambers for Pharaohs 9 Copyright © 2006 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display.
Relations with Nubia Competition over Nile trade n Military conflict between 3100 -2600 BCE n Drives Nubians to the south n q n Established Kingdom of Kush, c. 2500 BCE Trade, cultural influences continue despite military conflict 10 Copyright © 2006 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display.
Turmoil and Empire n n n Increasing agricultural productivity rise of regional powers and decline of central state (2160 -2040 BCE) Beginning of Middle Kingdom Invasion of Hyksos from southwest Asia, c. 1674 BCE q n Semitic people, horse riders with bronze weaponry Driven out by local military efforts, creation of New Kingdom (1550 -1070 BCE) 11 Copyright © 2006 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display.
The New Kingdom Few pyramids, but major monumental architectural projects n Engaged in empirebuilding to protect against foreign invasion n Invasions of Kushites, Assyrians destroy Egypt mid 6 th century BCE n Copyright © 2006 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display.
Egyptian Urban Culture n n Major cities along Nile river, especially at delta Well-defined social classes q q q Pharaohs to slaves Archaeological discoveries in Nubia also support classbased society Patriarchal societies, notable exceptions: female Pharaoh Hatshepsut (r. 1473 -1458 BCE) 13 Copyright © 2006 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display.
Economic Specialization Bronze metallurgy introduced late, with Hyksos invasion n Development of iron early, c. 900 BCE n Trade along Nile river n More difficult in Nubia due to cataracts q Sea trade in Mediterranean q 14 Copyright © 2006 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display.
Hieroglyphics n “Sacred Writings” q n Rosetta Stone, discovered 1799 q q q n Preserved on papyrus, made from reeds Hieroglyphs Demotic (“popular”) Greek Pictographs 15 Copyright © 2006 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display.
Development of Organized Religious Traditions Principal gods Amon and Re n Religious tumult under Amenhotep (Akhenaton) (r. 1364 -1347 BCE) q Introduces sole worship of sun god Aton n Tutankhamon restores old system n Copyright © 2006 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display.
Mummification and the Afterlife n n n Inspiration of the cycles of the Nile Belief in the revival of the dead q First: ruling classes only, later expanded to include lower classes Cult of Osiris q Originally, afterlife only for wealthy q Later, role of Osiris as Judge of Morality 17 Copyright © 2006 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display.
Bantu Migrations, 3000 -1000 BCE n n Bantu: “people” Migration throughout sub-Saharan regions q Population pressures Over 500 variations of original Bantu language q 90 million speakers By 1000 BCE, occupied most of Africa south of the equator 18 Copyright © 2006 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display.
The Bantu Migrations, 2000 B. C. E 1000 C. E. 19 Copyright © 2006 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display.
Bantu Religions n n Evidence of early monotheism Deistic views as well q n n Prayers to intercessors, e. g. ancestor spirits Great variations among populations ANIMISM 20 Copyright © 2006 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display.
Bantu Society n n n “Stateless” Societies Inter-Tribal Relationships Gender Roles 21 Copyright © 2006 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies Inc. Permission Required for Reproduction or Display.
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