The Dark The Dark ContinentContinent

Revising historyRevising history

Paleolithic

2,500,000 BCE The world’s earliest stone tools, Ethiopia

2,100,000 BCE    Tanzanian stone tools 700, 000 BCE   Stone tools at Abu Simbel, Nubia 400, 000 BCE   Cave Drawings of antelopes and other animals at  Porc Epic cave near Dire Dawa, Ethiopia 250, 000 250, 000250, 000 BCE   Numerous stone artifacts in 

Nubia and Egypt

Post- Paleolithic

75,000 BCE Shell Jewelry found in Blombos Cave, South Africa  in 200437,000 BCE Mathematical artifacts found in /25,000 BCE Swaziland and Ishango, Congo35,000 BCE Decorated ostrich egg shells found in Namibia26,000 BCE Painted stone slabs, Namibia16,000 BCE Domestication of wild grasses: Ethiopian/ Nubian complex

Neolithic15,000 BCE Domestication of sorghum: Nubia,

present day Sudan, East Africa 9370 BCE   Pottery at Tagalagal and Tamaya

Mellet, Niger, West Africa 8000 BCE   Africa’s oldest boat - found in

Dufuna, Northeast Nigeria 8000 BCE   Domestication of barley

and wheat, Ethiopia 7000 BCE   Wavy line pottery across

the Sahara/Sahelian region

An international team of scientists An international team of scientists has unearthed the skeleton of a has unearthed the skeleton of a human-like meat-eating creature human-like meat-eating creature that lived in Africa 2.5 million years that lived in Africa 2.5 million years ago and may be the earliest known ago and may be the earliest known ancestor of modern man. ancestor of modern man. Researchers say the newly Researchers say the newly discovered hominid species, discovered hominid species, Australopithecus garhi,Australopithecus garhi, marks a marks a turning point in evolution.turning point in evolution.

Birthplace of Birthplace of modern manmodern man

Arabica, the first Arabica, the first coffee, once grew coffee, once grew wild in Ethiopiawild in Ethiopia

The The Kingdom of AksumKingdom of AksumThis important This important trading nation in trading nation in northeastern Africa northeastern Africa grew from ca. 5th grew from ca. 5th century B.C.E to century B.C.E to become an important become an important trading nation by the trading nation by the 1st century C.E. It 1st century C.E. It converted to converted to Christianity in 325 or Christianity in 325 or 328.328.

(left) This mask This mask is from the is from the ubango tribe ubango tribe probably made probably made in the 1400s. in the 1400s.

(right) This mask This mask is from the is from the Toma tribe of Toma tribe of GuineaGuinea

Tribal Tribal masksmasks

Slavery starts

In the early 1400's the Portugese enslaved Africans In the early 1400's the Portugese enslaved Africans to cultivate sugar in the Azores. The production of to cultivate sugar in the Azores. The production of sugar demanded great labor as well as plenty of sugar demanded great labor as well as plenty of acreage, and only by using slaves could the acreage, and only by using slaves could the Portugese keep the enterprise profitable. The Portugese keep the enterprise profitable. The plantation model the Portugese developed would plantation model the Portugese developed would spread throughout the New World and remained the spread throughout the New World and remained the dominant economic model of the southern United dominant economic model of the southern United States through the Civil War.States through the Civil War.

The shaded The shaded area indicates area indicates Zimbabwe's Zimbabwe's sphere of influence in southeast Africa during the period of Great Zimbabwe, 11thth – 15 – 15thth Century C.E.Century C.E.

Great Great ZimbabweZimbabwe

This diplomatic term denotes This diplomatic term denotes an area in which a foreign an area in which a foreign power maintains rights power maintains rights superior to those of a superior to those of a host nation. This concept host nation. This concept became recognized in became recognized in international law during international law during the “scramble for Africa” the “scramble for Africa” in the 1880s, when the in the 1880s, when the great powers carved up great powers carved up the continent for the continent for commercial exploitation.commercial exploitation.

Sphere of Sphere of influenceinfluence

Africa Africa Before 1500Before 1500

No less than other European powers, No less than other European powers, Belgium proclaimed its colonial mission to Belgium proclaimed its colonial mission to be that of spreading civilization. But while be that of spreading civilization. But while Britain and France, say, had global Britain and France, say, had global empires, Belgium's attention was focused empires, Belgium's attention was focused overwhelmingly on the vast, resource-rich overwhelmingly on the vast, resource-rich Central African territory of Congo, 76 times Central African territory of Congo, 76 times larger than Belgium itself. The deal was larger than Belgium itself. The deal was implicit: in exchange for extracting implicit: in exchange for extracting immense wealth from its colony, Belgium immense wealth from its colony, Belgium offered schools, roads, Christianity and, offered schools, roads, Christianity and, yes, civilization.yes, civilization.

The European country ofThe European country of BelgiumBelgium controlled the Republic controlled the Republic of the Congo (Zaire)of the Congo (Zaire)

ColonizationColonization

KhamiKhami

There have been many There have been many civilizations in civilizations in Zimbabwe as is shown Zimbabwe as is shown by the ancient stone by the ancient stone structures at Khami, structures at Khami, Great Zimbabwe and Great Zimbabwe and Dhlo-Dhlo.Dhlo-Dhlo.

African African DiasporaDiasporaDuring the 1700s During the 1700s when the Atlantic when the Atlantic slave trade was slave trade was flourishing, West flourishing, West Africans accounted for Africans accounted for approximately two-approximately two-thirds of the African thirds of the African captives imported into captives imported into the Americas.the Americas.

Slavery in Africa and the brutal form of slavery that Slavery in Africa and the brutal form of slavery that would develop in the Americas were vastly different. would develop in the Americas were vastly different.

The Slave TradeThe Slave Trade

In the Ashanti Kingdom of West Africa, for In the Ashanti Kingdom of West Africa, for example, slaves could marry, own property and example, slaves could marry, own property and even own slaves. And slavery ended after a certain even own slaves. And slavery ended after a certain number of years of servitude. African slavery was number of years of servitude. African slavery was not hereditary, and lacked the racist notion that not hereditary, and lacked the racist notion that whites were masters and blacks were slaves.whites were masters and blacks were slaves.

Triangular slave trade routesTriangular slave trade routes

British soldiers digging trenches in South Africa

The Boer WarThe Boer WarThis war erupted This war erupted between Afrikaaners between Afrikaaners and the British in and the British in South Africa, resulting South Africa, resulting in British imprisonment in British imprisonment of the Afrikaaner of the Afrikaaner women and children in women and children in concentration camps.concentration camps. This conflict at the turn This conflict at the turn of the 20of the 20thth century century foreshadowed modern foreshadowed modern guerrilla warfare guerrilla warfare tactics.tactics.

ApartheidApartheidA striking example of income A striking example of income inequality, the table below inequality, the table below shows the wide disparities that shows the wide disparities that once existed between the once existed between the white South Africa ruling white South Africa ruling minority and the immigrants to minority and the immigrants to that country.that country.

White and black segregation at a 1976 soccer match.

Kenyan Kenyan women women build build new new liveslives

Villagers and tourists performing Villagers and tourists performing traditional dances in Umoja. The traditional dances in Umoja. The women earn money by selling the bead women earn money by selling the bead necklaces they make.necklaces they make.

Residents of Umoja working on the roof Residents of Umoja working on the roof for a new hut in their village, where about for a new hut in their village, where about three dozen women live. Some of the three dozen women live. Some of the women say their husbands forced them women say their husbands forced them from their homes because they had been from their homes because they had been

raped.raped.

Trouser Police

The Mungiki The Mungiki sect is blamed sect is blamed for the attacksfor the attacks

A group of young men started assaulting women A group of young men started assaulting women wearing trousers, stripping them naked in 2003. wearing trousers, stripping them naked in 2003. Women in Kenya held a demonstration in the western Women in Kenya held a demonstration in the western town of Eldoret demanding town of Eldoret demanding the government to take the government to take strong action to protect themstrong action to protect them.

African history linksAfrican history links

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/aaohtml/exhibit/aopart1.html http://www.liu.edu/cwis/cwp/library/aaslavry.htm#beginning