Complex Civilizations before the Arrival of Europeans!

In fertile areas, farming peoples practiced slash and burn agriculture. They produced a variety of crops. Along coasts and rivers, people learned to fish with nets. They traded surplus fish for other things they needed. In the savanna, the Masai were nomads, raising herds of cattle. To protect their herds against raiders, these peoples became skilled warriors. The Bushmen adapted to harsh conditions of the Kalahari Desert by gathering roots and herbs and hunting small game. 5

The family was the basic unit of society. Some were matrilineal others were patrilineal. Each family belonged to a lineage and clan. Age and “Rites of Passage” determined status. Religious beliefs were varied and complex. People identified the forces of nature with divine spirits but many groups believed in a powerful supreme god. Christianity and Islam influenced people in some parts of Africa. Villages were tight knit communities. In most villages, power was shared among a group of elders. Villages within a kingdom had to pay taxes and provide soldiers to the central government. FAMILY RELIGION GOVERNMENT 5

 They pass on oral traditions.  They still exist today.  They often have many talents such as musical ability and story-telling.  nte.com/biog/griots. html nte.com/biog/griots. html

 About 2500 B.C., the Sahara began to dry out.  Desertification encouraged migration, as people were forced to seek new places to live.  Many cultures south of the Sahara are based on Bantu culture and Language.

CivilizationLocationDatesReligionWebsite Nubia (Kush) South of Egypt 1000 BC – 150AD Own, polytheistic stories/nubiapyramids.htm Axum Red Sea Coast 900BC- 600AD Judeo- Christian inf chive/um/umn.html Ghana West Africa 800AD- 1100AD Converted to Islam ce/africa/features/storyofafrica/4 chapter1.shtml Mali West Africa1200AD- 1450AD Islam ce/africa/features/storyofafrica/4 chapter3.shtml Songhai West Africa1450AD- 1600AD Islam ce/africa/features/storyofafrica/4 chapter4.shtml Zimbabwe Southern Africa 900AD- 1500AD Polytheistic/ theocratic andow/post/zimbabwe/art/greatz im/gz1.html Benin Central Rainforests 1300s ADPolytheistic/ theocratic s/beninsp.htm

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 At one time ruled Egypt and vice versa.  Iron furnaces in Meroe produced iron wares.  Incorporated many aspects of Egyptian culture  Nubian alphabet was different from Hieroglyphics and yet to be deciphered.

 Incorporated Nubia into its boundaries.  Traders brought goods from Africa’s interior to the harbor at Adulis on the Red Sea.  Also sea traders brought goods from India and Arabia.  King Ezana converted to Christianity and Jewish temples were replaced  Many Ethiopians later kept this religion and Kings had churches built into the hills.

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As farming and trade prospered, several strong monarchs gained control of the most profitable trade routes and built powerful kingdoms. Sonni Ali forged the largest state that had ever existed in West Africa. The kingdom gained control of trade routes and wealthy cities like Timbuktu. Mansas, or kings, expanded their influence over gold- mining regions and salt supplies. Mansa Musa pushed Mali’s borders westward and northward. He also encouraged and adopted the practice of Islam. Strong rulers united many farming villages to create the kingdom of Ghana. The king controlled gold- salt trade routes across West Africa and collected tolls on all goods entering and leaving Ghana. SONGHAI MALIGHANA 5

Two products, gold and salt, dominated the Sahara trade route.  Gold was plentiful in the West African savanna.  Salt, which people need in their diet, was scarce in the savanna but abundant in the Sahara.  West Africans sent gold across the Sahara to markets in North Africa and Europe. In return for gold, they received salt. 5

 Located in the rainforest of Central Africa.  Farming villages were set up.  Traded pepper, ivory, and later slaves.  Constructed 3 mile long wall around Benin City  Created crafty bronze statues of warriors and the queen mother

 Bantu speaking people settling between AD  Had farming skills, cattle raising, and mining ability.  Created stone enclosures for cattle.  Part of trade network that reached India and China  Manufactured iron tools, gold and copper jewelry and woven cloth.

“Among the customs of the people of this town is the following: when a ship comes into port, it is boarded from little boats. Each boat carries a crowd of young men, each carrying a covered dish containing food. Each one of them presents his dish to a merchant on board, and calls out ‘this man is my guest’.” *** Ibn Battuta provides one of only a few eyewitness descriptions of Mogadishu during this period.

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 Complex civilizations existed before the arrival of Europeans.  Trade encouraged cultural diffusion and entrance of monotheistic faiths.  Some traditional cultures still exist today like the Masai and the Kalahari Bushmen.  Griots pass on history through oral tradition.  Rites of passage were common in many areas.  Many African people have/had some form of an animist faith. (masks to contact spirits)  The geography of Africa is diverse and therefore Africa’s cultures are diverse.  Europeans began to use Africa for its own self benefit. (slave trade)  Migration of Bantus has impacted many cultures south of the Sahara.