Early African Societies and the bantu migrations

Civilization What is a civilization and what are defining characteristics of a civilization? Civilization: the stage of human social development and organization that is considered most advanced characteristics: -large populations centers -social classes -labor How did Early African Societies grow and develop before 600 BCE? -developed religious beliefs that reflected their agriculture based on society -domesticated cattle(eastern Sudan) -cultivation and herding transformed

Where did Early African Societies develop and why? Geography Where did Early African Societies develop and why? Sudanic cultivators and herders gathered around remaining bodies of water such as Lake Chad. Some moved south to the territory that is now northern Uganda. Others congregated in the valley of Nile River(flowing through north America.) The Nile -both Egypt and Nubia would come under the influence -links the two regions -take advantage of annual floods -productive agricultural region -capable of supporting much larger population than Nubian lands

State What is a state? A state is a territory considered as an organized political community. Who ruled the early African Societies? Early African civilizations recognized pharaoh as a supreme central ruler.

Expansion Were early African societies able to expand and conquer? The first states emerged within core civilizations in Mesopotamia and the Nile River.

Pastoral Civilizations What role did pastoral civilizations play in regards to building empires? The use of bronze in Egypt became very widespread. Bronze was used to make weapons. After 1000 BCE, the southern Nile societies made up for their lack of bronze with emergence of large scale production of iron. Iron metallurgy quickly spread throughout most of Saharan Africa.

Culture How did culture play a role in unifying populations? -Towns were the center of government -markets in towns carried lots of goods from trade -farmers could take their crops in exchange for goods

Architecture What architectural forms did your civilization produce? -pyramids -monoliths around the Cross River -temples -enclosed cities -canals -dams

Art What social class encouraged the development of art? Sculptures were the most important type of art in Ancient Africa. Sculptured were of people or sometimes animals. Early Africans used wood, bronze, terracotta, and ivory to sculpt sculptures. Masks were another important type of art.

Writing What form of writing developed? -Ancient African societies are most known for hieroglyphs. There are hieratic, which is hieroglyphs, demotic, a simplified form of ancient Egyptian hieratic writing, and coptic, such as wall paintings, textiles, illuminated manuscripts, and metalwork.

Relation What was the relation of literature and culture? -relied on hieratic script -”holy scriptures” -alphabetical script for the Merotic language

Religions What religions influenced later eras? -deities played prominent roles -gods was an important community response -Re=sun god

Trade What trade routes were utilized? -specialized labor developed long-distance trade -between Egypt and Nubia

Identities How did social and gender identities develop? Egypt relied on professional military forces and an elaborate bureaucracy of administrators and tax collectors who served the central government. Individuals of common birth could attain high positions in society through government service.

Jackson Kurtz Brooklyn Perez Sophia Vergura Period 2 The end Jackson Kurtz Brooklyn Perez Sophia Vergura Period 2