Early African Civilizations 2000 BCE 1500 CE Geography

Early African Civilizations 2000 BCE – 1500 CE

Geography of Africa • 2 nd largest continent • Almost completely surrounded by water – – Mountainous north Sahara desert Great Rift Valley 4 major rivers • • Nile Niger Zambezi Congo

Climate • Divided into four distinct climate zones – Mediterranean – Desert – Rain forest – Savanna

Early Civilizations • Egypt • Nubia • Kush (Trade) 250 BCE – 150 CE – Meroe (iron ore) • Axum (Trade) – Christian (King Ezana 330 CE) • Islam

West African Kingdoms 500 – 1500 • Ghana (400 – ca 1200) Saleh – Strong kings – Trade (Gold, Iron for Salt) • Silent Trade • Role of camels and Berbers • http: //player. discoveryeducation. com/index. cfm? guid. Asset. Id=25 B 6 C 88 A-BE 2 A-4 B 19 -9 C 2 B 1 C 71 AF 9 F 0 A 4 F&bln. From. Search=1&productcode=US • Mali (1250 – 1450) Timbuktu – Sundiata Keita – Mansa Musa (1312 – 1337) • Pilgrimage to Mecca • Songhai (1000 – 1600) Gao • Sunni Ali (1464) • Muhammad Ture (1493)

East African Kingdoms • Bantu Migrations – Subsistence agriculture – Trade • Mogadishu • Mombasa • Kilwa • Swahili – Mixed Arab and African culture (also a language)

South Africa • Stateless societies – Small collections of villages – Kalahari desert (San http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=c 246 f. Z 7 z 1 w) • Zimbabwe (1300 – 1450)

African Society and Culture • King and subject – Smaller scale of many societies reduced distance but authority was still complete • Family and lineage – Groups of related individuals provided typical African with their place in the world – Matrilineal – Patrilineal • Religion – Typically polytheistic prior to Islam – Possibility of contact lead to diviner class

African Culture • Art is linked to religion – Cave paintings in Tassili Mountains provide a record of shift from hunter gathering to herding to trade – Wood carving – Sculpture • Nok (500 BCE – 200 AD) • Ife (southern Nigeria) Iron and bronze • Benin (Bronze rivals China) – Music Dance – Storytelling (griots)