African Civilizations

Chapter 8:1-3

African Civilizations

Chapter 8:1-3

1500 BC- 500 AD

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Section 1: Diverse Societies in Africa

• Main Idea= African peoples developed diverse societies as they adapted to varied environments

• Why it matters now? Differences among modern societies are also based on people’s interactions with their environments

• THEMES: how geography affects societies

Setting the Stage

• “Geography is the mother of history”

• First human inhabitants

• Early civilizations: Egypt, Carthage and Kush

Geography• Second largest continent in the

world• Occupies 1/5 of the earth’s land

surfaces• Coastline has few harbors and

ports• Africa lies on the equator (tropics)• From plains to snowy mountains• From drought to rainfall• From rocky to rain forests

From Deserts to Rain Forests

• Desert makes up 40% of continent

• Deserts can reach 136 degrees

• Sahara and Kalahari Deserts

• Rainforests- ½ of the middle of Africa

From Fertile Farmlands to Grassy Plains• Fertile land on the

northern and southern tips

• Largest amount of people live on the savannas (grassy plains)

• Savannas cover 40% of continent

• Desertification= a transformation from fertile land into desert

Early Humans Adapt to Environment

• People moved outward from the area’s first migration and adapting to the different geography

• Developed technologies to adapt

Nomadic Lifestyles

• Roamed for food• Still nomadic hunter-

gatherers roaming Africa today

• Eventually, domesticated animals

• Many modern Africans are pastoral herders

Transition to a Settled Lifestyle• Agriculture probably began

in 10,000 BC• To survive many moved to

the Nile Valley and into West Africa

• Savannas had the best agricultural lands

• With an increased amount of food, some could practice other activities (metal, pottery, jewelry)

Crash Course: Agricultural Revolution

Organizing Africa

• Different activities led to organizing into communities with simple governments

• Village chief• Centralized powers• These communities

developed into great kingdoms

*African Common Characteristics• 1. Importance of basic social unit,

the family– Extended family– Clan= a group that shared common

ancestors• 2. Belief in one creator, or god

– Animism= religion in which spirits played an important role in regulating life

– Spirits sent to animals, plants and natural forces

• 3. Oral stories kept history alive– Griots= storytellers

Early Societies in West Africa

• How we know about Africa?– *oral history– Recent archaeology findings

Djenne-Djeno

• *Djenne= ancient city in Africa, objects dated from 250 BC, oldest known city in Africa south of the Sahara

• Uncovered in 1977• Excavated a huge mound

with hundreds of thousands of artifacts

• 50,000 residents• Knew how to smelt iron• Houses of mud bricks• Trading center

The Nok Culture• Nok= earliest known

Western African culture• Present day Nigeria• 500- 250 BC

Farmers• *First people to know how

to smelt iron• Might have taught Djenne

people• Might be direct ancestors

of some modern Africans

Section 2: The Kingdom of Aksum & East African Trade

• Main Idea: The kingdom of Aksum became an international trading power and adopted Christianity

• Why it matters now? Ancient Aksum, which is now Ethiopia, is still a center of Eastern Christianity

• THEMES: religion spread through trade

Setting the Stage

• Before Nok, Kush in the east was powerful enough to conquer Egypt

• Assyrians came in and drove Kushites south

• Kush remained powerful until it was conquered by another more powerful kingdom

The Rise of the Kingdom of Aksum• Aksum= kingdom located

in modern day Ethiopia• Legend traces back to King

Solomon of ancient Israel• May have begun when

Arab people crossed the Red Sea into Africa

• Mingled with Kushites and passed along their written language, skills with stone and building aqueducts

Aksum Controls International Trade

• Location made it an important trading center

• Red Sea coastline gave it influence over sea trade on the Med. Sea & Indian Ocean

• Along caravan route to Egypt and Meroe

• Adulis= Aksum’s chief seaport• *International trading power• Traded: salt, rhino horns, tortoise

shells, ivory, emeralds, gold

A Strong Ruler Expands the Kingdom

• Ezana= great ruler that brought the kingdom of Aksum to its height

• Conquered Yemen, then Kush

• Burned Meroe to the ground

A Cosmopolitan Culture Develops

• Aksumites had a diverse culture

• Adulis (port) was cosmopolitan– Included people from: Egypt,

Arabia, Greece, Rome, Persia, Indian and Byzantium

• Out of all the languages of Aksum, *Greek stood out as the international language of the time

Spread of Christianity• One god= Mahrem• Believed their king was

directly descended from him• Animists, honored nature

and dead ancestors• Offered sacrifices to those

spirits, Mahrem and the Greek god of war, Ares

• Christianity spread from trade

Split over Christianity

• Dispute: nature of Christ, whether he was divine, human or both

• Coptic Church of Egypt and the Ethiopian Orthodox Church (22 million members) formed

Aksumite Architecture

• Used stone instead of mud bricks• Carved stone to fit perfectly

Language & Agriculture

• Askum was the only ancient African kingdom known to have *developed a written language

• First south of the Sahara to mint coins

• Terrace farming• Dug canals to bring in water,

dams, holding tanks to store water

The Fall of Aksum

• Lasted 800 years• Declined under invaders

who practiced Islam• Muslims conquered and

spread religion along as they went

• Ports were cut off, and the kingdom declined in international power

Section 3: Bantu Speaking Peoples

• Main Idea: Throughout history, people have been driven to uproot themselves and explore their world

• Why it matters now? Migration continues to shape the modern world

• Theme: Migration

*Causes for Migrations

• Environmental changes• Economic pressure• Political and religious

persecution• Technological development

• Best way to study patterns of movement is to study the movement of languages

Massive Migrations

• *900 languages in the Niger-Congo all stemmed from the parent language, Proto-Bantu

• Bantu-speaking peoples• Bantu= “people”• Bantu went south

spreading their language

Bantu Language

Bantu Culture

• Not one people but a group of people

• Nomads• Skill of ironworking*• Spread their skills• Within 1500 years they

were able to reach the southern tip of Africa

*Why did the Bantu migrate?

• 1. Agriculture fed more people and therefore population increased and they had to move (not enough land to go around)

• 2. Advancing Sahara Desert (desertification)

• 3. War between tribes

*Effects of the Bantu Migration

• Spread of culture• Intermingling and

intermarrying• Were a unifying

influence throughout Africa

“Guns, Germs & Steel: Bantu & Ancient Africa”