Early African Societies and the Bantu Migrations Chapter 3 Early African Societies and the Bantu Migrations

Africa: Geography 5,000 miles north-south, east-west North: mountainous coastline Sahara desert West: interior grasslands, tropical jungle on coast East (on Indian ocean): snowy mountains, upland plateaus Central: Jungles South: hills, plateaus, deserts

Development of African Agriculture Sahara desert originally highly fertile region Western Sudan region nomadic herders, c. 9000 BCE Domestication of cattle c. 7500 BCE Later, cultivation of sorghum, yams, increasingly diverse Widespread desiccation of the Sahara c. 5000 BCE

Who was Herodotus? 486BCE-425CE Where am I from? 486BCE-425CE The father of history-he was the first historian known to collect his materials systematically and critically, and then to arrange them into a historiographical narrative. “The Histories”

The “Gift of the Nile” phrased by Herodotus The Nile Valley, 3000-2000 BCE Gradual, predictable flooding Inundation (July-October) Sprouting Summer Communication: Nubia-Egypt Current: north Winds: south Sub-Saharan Africa-Mesopotamia Increased in importance w/ desiccation of Sahara

Calendar 12 months, 30 days Divided into 3 seasons: Akhet-innudation Perket-growing Shemu-drought or harvest

Early Agriculture in Nile Valley 10,000 BCE migrants from Red Sea hills (northern Ethiopia) Introduce collection of wild grains, language roots of Coptic (the language of ancient Egypt) 5000 BCE Sudanic cultivators, herders migrate to Nile river valley Adaptation to seasonal flooding of Nile through construction of dikes, waterways Villages dot Nile by 4000 BCE

Impact on Political Organization As in Mesopotamia a need for formal organization of public affairs Need to maintain order and organize community projects Egypt: simple, local irrigation projects Rural rather than heavily urban development Trade networks develop

Unification of Egypt Legendary conqueror Menes, c. 3100 unifies Egyptian kingdom Sometimes identified with Narmer-maybe the same person? Tradition: founder of Memphis, cultural and political center of ancient Egypt Instituted the rule of the Pharaoh (Horus) Claimed descent from the gods-Gods living on earth Absolute rulers, had slaves buried with them from 2600 BCE Most powerful during Archaic Period (3100-2660 BCE) and Old Kingdom (2660-2160 BCE)

The Pyramids Symbols of the pharaoh’s authority and divine status A testimony of the pharaohs’ ability to marshal Egypt’s resources- Largest Khufu (Cheops) 2.3 M limestone blocks avg weight 2.5 tons Role: burial chambers for Pharaohs Show construction of Temple here from Ancient Egypt VH 5431

Relations with Nubia Competition over Nile trade Military conflict between 3100-2600 BCE Drives Nubians to the south Established Kingdom of Kush, c. 2500 BCE Trade, cultural influences continue despite military conflict

The New Kingdom Imperial Egypt, 1400 BCE Few pyramids, but major monumental architectural projects Engaged in empire-building to protect against foreign invasion Local resistance drives Egypt out of Nubia Kingdom of Kush revives c. 1100 BCE Invasions of Kushites, Assyrians destroy Egypt mid 6th century BCE ALL HAIL

Egyptian Urban Culture Major cities along Nile river, especially at delta Memphis c. 3100 BCE, Heliopolis c. 2900 BCE Nubian cities include Kerma, Napata, Meroë Located at cataracts of the Nile Well-defined social classes Pharaohs to slaves- Archaeological discoveries in Nubia also support class-based society Patriarchal societies, notable exceptions: female Pharaoh Hatshepsut (r. 1473-1458 BCE) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbBNkp1FfMc 14mins

Economic Specialization Bronze metallurgy introduced late, with Hyksos invasion Development of iron early, c. 900 BCE Trade along Nile river More difficult in Nubia due to cataracts Sea trade in Mediterranean

Hieroglyphs “Holy Inscriptions” Writing appeared at least by 3200 BCE Pictographic supplemented with symbols representing sounds and ideas Survives on monuments, buildings and sheets of papyrus Hieroglyphs for formal writing, hieratic script for everyday affairs used from 2600 BCE – 600 CE Adopts Greek alphabet – demotic and Coptic scripts Meroitic writing - flexible system borrowed from hieroglyphs, represents sounds rather than ideas

Meroitic -Nubian

Hieratic glyphs and the hieroglyphs they evolved from

Development of Organized Religious Traditions Principal gods Amon and Re Religious tumult under Amenhotep IV (Akhenaten) (r. 1364-1347 BCE) Introduces sole worship of sun god Aten One of the world’s earliest expressions of Monotheism Death of Akhenaten, traditional priest restore the cult of Amon-Re to privileged status http://discoveringegypt.com/egyptian-video-documentaries/akhenaten-the-rebel-pharaoh/

Mummification and the Afterlife Inspiration of the cycles of the Nile Belief in the revival of the dead First: ruling classes only, later expanded to include lower classes Cult of Osiris http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFL-03Xjam4 4 mins/ 5 mins Lord of the underworld Power to determine who deserved immortality Held out hope of eternal reward for those who lived moral lives Nubian worship of Apedemak and Sebiumeker Show second clip from Ancient Egypt, Sphinx through mummification

Mummy curse http://www.unmuseum.org/mummy.htm

Bantu Migrations, 3000-1000 BCE Bantu: “people” Migration throughout sub-Saharan regions Population pressures Over 500 variations of original Bantu language 90 million speakers By 1000 BCE, occupied most of Africa south of the equator Eduplace.com

Similar to Indo-European migrations…How?

Sanskrit, Persian, Greek and Latin languages are influences… not Egyptian!

http://www.eduplace.com/kids/socsci/ca/books/bkf3/imaps/AC_06_206_bantu/AC_06_206_bantu.html

Bantu Religions Evidence of early monotheism Deistic views as well Prayers to intercessors, e.g. ancestor spirits Great variations among populations