Ancient African Civilization

AFRICAN LANDSCAPE

• the second largest continent
• is mountainous with deserts, grassy flatlands, and jungles
• majority of land is a plateu

early africa

• earliest inhabitants: Egyptians
• during the Roman Republic, Carthage and Rome made civilizations in North Africa
• Islam soon dominated over both empires
• sub-Saharan Africa: the part of Africa south of the Sahara

TWO KINGDOMS IN NORTHEAST AFRICA

• Kingdom of Kush
• Kingdom of Aksum

KINGDOM OF KUSH

• a province of Egypt
• overthrew Egypt's rule and conquered it
• was soon conquered by Aksum

Kingdom of Aksum

• converted to Christianity
• Frumantius: Syrian Christian who introduced Christianity
• conversion increased trade with Roman Empire
• Muslims invaded; disconnecting Aksum from Europe
• Aksum became the nucleus of the modern state of Ethiopia

HISTORY OF AFRICA

• in Middle Ages, central and western Africa were the important kingdoms
• histories were passed down orally
• Central Africa: many kingdoms survive on the shores of Lake Chad
• profits are from the camel caravan trade and built strong military forces

WESTERN KInGDOMS

• Ghana, Mali, and Songhai
• wealth derived from the gold mines and the camel caravan trade
• Niger River provided a base for these empires

ghana

• first to rise to preeminence
• weakened by Muslim invaders

Mali

• soon dominated western Africa
• Mansa Musa: most famous ruler
• rulers converterd to Islam
• capital: Timbuktu, became Africa’s most important center of trade
• Musa encouraged learning and attracked scholars

songhai

• overthrew Mali Empire
• stretched from Atlantic in west to Bornu in east
• Moroccan forces invaded
• the invasion ended western African empire

East africa

• trading ports on coasts during Roman empire
• gold, iron, ivory, and animal skins were traded to the Arabs and Persians
• culture: Arab, Persian, and African
• language: Swahili
• conquered by Portuguese forces who attacked seized control of trade

Forest Kingdoms

• provided goods to sell in eastern city-states
• best known were in contact with Europe
• most important: Benin (southern Nigeria)
• Benin: a center for trade & produced statues and sculptures
• metal- working: one of the highest known artistic accomplishments

african culture

• concerned themselves with mostly life in their villages
• families were foundational and also very large
• polygamy (marrying more than one spouse) was common in many tribes
• clans: formed from families with common ancestor
• tribe: a group of two or more clans; most important organization

african religion

• religious belief was diverse
• some claimed Christianity and Islam
• Muslim patterns influenced goverments, education, & currencies
• believed there was a high god who created the universe with lesser gods
• Prayers and sacrifices offered to gods to rid of illnesses and increase crops

african agriculture

• relied on farming or herding
• traded with gold, salt, ivory, and animal skins
• in the Middle Ages, slave trade opened