Early African Civilizations Chapter 13

Bell Ringer – February 15, 2016 Page 413 Africa Physical Map What is the world’s longest river and in what direction does it flow? In what area of Africa does the Niger River start? What could the Niger River provide for the people in the area? What impact would the vast Sahara Desert have on the people of Africa? Nile – it runs north In West Africa – Fouta Djallon Water, Food, Transportation Trade & Travel Barrier

Geography and Early Africa 2nd largest continent Sahara Desert -> North Africa Atlas Mts. -> Northwest Edge Drakensberg Mts. -> Southeast Edge Great Rift Valleys -> Eastern Africa Rivers -> Sub-Saharan Congo, Zambezi, Niger

Regions of West Africa Niger River -> Water, Food, Transportion Sahel: strip of land, little rainfall that divides the desert from wetter areas Savannah: open grassland with scattered trees Rain Forest: moist, densely wooded area

West Africa’s Resources Land: produce many different crops including – dates, kola nuts, and grains Minerals: gold (forests), salt (Sahara),

Early Peoples’ Way of Life Extended Family: Father, Mother, children, close relatives Age-Sets: Men or Women born within 2-3 years of each other formed special bonds. Men – Hunted, farmed, livestock Women – farmed, collected firewood, ground grain, carried water & cared for children Religion – Ancestor spirits, Food at sacred graves Animism: Water, Animals, Trees, have spirits

Iron & Trade 500 BC – West Africa: Heat certain kinds of rock to create iron. Good for Tools & Weapons Villages began to trade with buyers thousands of miles away. Gold and Salt became a source of great wealth Traders across the Sahara - > Camels carried goods to North Africa

Essential Question What factors shaped early African civilizations? BIG IDEA: Geography, resources, culture, and trade influenced the growth of societies in West Africa

GROUP WORK Draw Conclusions: Why might more people live in the Savannah than in the Sahel? Predict: How might the different climate in West Africa affect it ? Recall: What crops were harvested in West Africa? Explain: Why was salt important to West Africans? Identify: Who made up extended family? Analyze: What role did Animism play in West African culture? Elaborate: Why were extended family & age sets important in early West African cultures?

Bell Ringer February 16, 2016 Page 417 – Interpreting Maps What were some goods traded across the Sahara? Why was salt a valued trade good? Gold, salt, ivory, silk, spices Salt was used to preserve and flavor food

The Empire of Ghana Soninke – Earliest people in West Africa Farmed along the Niger River AD300 – began to band together for protection Learned to work with iron Started trading with gold and salt Silent Barter – exchanging goods without contacting each other directly. Kept location of gold secret

Ghana Creates an Empire Trade in gold and salt increased & Ghana’s rulers gained power and took full control of trade routes Built armies with iron weapons Traded in many items, including slaves Became very prosperous by trade and taxes. Gold was traded as far away as England Only Ghana’s rulers could own gold nuggets. Common people owned gold dust.

Ghana’s Decline Invasion: North African Muslims called the Almoravids attacked in the 1060s. After 14 years the Almoravids defeated Ghana and cut off trades routes. Ghana still existed but was weakened. Overgrazing: Almoravids brought herds of animals that ate all the grass, forcing Ghana’s farmers to move in search of better land Internal Rebellion: AD1200 surrounding people rose up in rebellion. Ghana had conquered these people in earlier days and the rebels took over the entire empire of Ghana. They could not keep order and the entire empire fell apart

Essential Question What Factors shaped early African civilizations? Big Idea: The rulers of Ghana built an Empire by controlling the gold and salt trade

Events Leading to Rise & Fall of Ghana Rise : Location, Silent Barter, Controlling Trade from the North and South Fall: Invasion, Overgrazing, Internal Rebellion

Bell Ringer February 17, 2016 Page 423 – Interpreting Maps On what river are Timbuktu & Gao located? The Senegal River was located within what Empire? Niger River Mali

Mali Mali’s rise to power began under a ruler named Sundiata. 1230s - Mali lay along the upper Niger River Sundiata took over the salt, gold, and slave trades He improved agriculture He introduced cotton to Africa – a cooler fabric than animal skin or fur He started the title - Mansa

Mansa Musa Mali’s most famous ruler was Mansa Musa - > Muslim Reached the height of wealth, power, fame 1300s Islam spread through West Africa Added Timbuktu to his empire 1324 – left Mali on a pilgrimage to Mecca Spread Mali’s fame far and wide (Page 427) Supported Education – Spread the Arabic language Built Mosques throughout the Empire

Fall of Mali Mansa Musa died and his son was a weak ruler Raiders from the Southeast raided & burned schools & mosques 1431 Tuareg nomads from the Sahara seized Timbuktu, provinces broke away, Mali declined

Songhai Empire Songhai Kingdom – Capital -> Gao 1300s – Mansa Musa conquered the Songhai 1400s – Mali declined and Songhai regained their freedom Songhai were Muslim also – and grew rich through trade Leaders: Sunni Ali -> organized and enlarged Songhai Askia the Great-> Timbuktu flourished. Thousands of people came to universities, libraries, mosques. People came to study math, science, medicine, law Created organized departments within government

Fall of Songhai 1591 – Morocco invades Songhai Morocco wanted Salt mines Morocco had Arquebus – early form of Gun Morocco had cannons – destroyed Timbuktu & Gao Trade patterns changed to the Atlantic coast. Overland trade declined. South Africans & Europeans preferred dealing with coastal Africans rather than Muslims.

Great Zimbabwe Great Zimbabwe: powerful kingdom in southern Africa Center of a large trading network -> Gold Huge fortresses - 1100s 1400s – Gold Trade declined Zimbabwe weakened.

Essential Question What Factors shaped Early African civilizations? BIG IDEA: Between 1000-1500, three great kingdoms; Mali, Songhai, & Great Zimbabwe developed in Africa

Bell Ringer February 18, 2016 Page 430 – Linking to today How did West Africa music affect modern American music? Over- time – enslaved Africans brought to America music traditions that have been handed down and adapted to modern styles

Clothing Kente Clothing – handwoven brightly colored fabric

Music Music honored history and marked special occasions.

Essential Question What factors shaped early African civilizations? BIG IDEA: African culture has been handed down through Oral History and the Arts

Historical & Artistic Traditions Writing was never common in West Africa None of the major early civilizations of West Africa developed a written language Arabic was the only written language they used They passed along information through oral histories The storytellers of early West Africa were called griots. Griots helped keep this history alive for each new generation

Visitors’ Written Accounts Ibn Battutah was the most famous Muslim visitor to write about West Africa. From 1353 to 1354 he traveled through the region. Ibn Battutah’s account of this journey describes the political and cultural lives of West Africans in great detail.

Art, Music, Dance West Africans expressed themselves through sculpture, mask-making, cloth making, music, and dance They made ornate statues and carvings out of wood, brass, clay, ivory, stone, and other materials Their sculpture inspired Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso