Ancient Africa 1500 B.C. – 1500 A.D.

African Geography Desert Savanna Rainforest Mediterranean Sahara dominates northern Africa Kalahari largest desert in southern Africa Savanna Best areas for herd animals and growing of grains Rainforest Diverse life forms and natural resources, very difficult to travel through or live in Tsetse flies Mediterranean Small region in northern Africa that supports abundant life

Tsetse Fly & African Sleeping Sickness

Early Sub-Saharan African Life East Africa was the beginning of human life “Lucy” Nomadic herders Masi and other groups still practice Agriculture develops (~6,000 B.C.) Permanent settlements develop Animism = ? Griots = ? West African Iron Age Nok Culture (Niger River Valley) Trade city of Djenne-Djeno Use of Iron tools

Push-Pull Factors Chart page 221 3 main migration factors Environmental Economic Political

Migration of the Bantu Peoples Trace the Bantu Migrations on your map of Africa (page 222) Where did they go? How did they adapt to each region? Slash & burn Raising cattle Adopting new crops Why did they migrate? Agriculture led to more land use and great population

Effects of Bantu Migration Forced interaction between different groups (BaMbuti and San) Some mixed, some left, some fought Brought new technologies to regions Brought Bantu ideas about politics and social organization Centralized language branch throughout the continent Niger-congo languages 900+ different dialects and individual languages Bantu is the first language of nearly 1/3 of all Africans today

Kingdom of Aksum South of Kush International trade center (Adulis) Legend traces roots of Kush back to son of King solomon and Queen of Sheba Modern day Ethiopia and Eritrea International trade center (Adulis) Caravans to Egypt through Meroe Access to Mediterranean Sea & Indian Ocean through Red Sea Exported: salt, ivory, emeralds, gold Imported: cloth, glass, wine, iron, copper

Kingdom of Aksum (cont.) Ezana (325 – 360 A.D.) Peak of the empire Expanded territory into Arabian Peninsula (modern day Yemen) Conquered Kush Cosmopolitan Heritage Greek, Roman, Persian, Indian, and Egyptian Converted to Christianity Made official religion for Aksum Decline &Isolation Islamic invaders began to cut into the empire and take-over trade routes Moved to the mountains of northern Ethiopia Remained isolated for a few hundred years (632 – 750 AD)

The Pillars of Aksum Used no mortar Carved great stones together Created false doors, windows, as well as tall peaks The Pillars are often dedicated to the Christian God

West African Societies

Ghana (700 – 1076 A.D.) Use of camels led to development of the trans-Sahara trade routes Gold-Salt Trade Arab and Berber traders Gold from western Africa, salt from Sahara Empire of Ghana developed from taxing trade routes Ghana’s kings convert to Islam Led to literacy (learning to read the Qur’an) Commoners mostly did not convert 1076 – Muslim Almoravids conquered

Mali (1235 – 1400s) Gold deposits east of Ghana allowed Mali empire to gain wealth and power by moving the trade routes 2 important leaders Sundiata – 1st emperor (mansa) Different than prior emperors Peaceful United Mali Conquered Ghana Led to period of peace and prosperity Mansa Musa (1312 – 1332) Muslim leader (Sundiata’s grandnephew Expanded empire to twice the size of Ghana (100,000 man army) Hajj to Mecca in 1324-1325 exposed riches of Mali to Arab peninsula New trade centers develop (Timbuktu and Gao)

Songhai (1400s – 1500s) Gained control of trade routes due to gold deposits near Niger River (Gao) 2 important leaders Sunni Ali Muslim leader Had a private army consisting of horse soldiers and river canoes Conquered Timbuktu (1468) & Djenne (1473, took 7 years) Military hero Askia Muhammad Established bureaucracy and provinces Overthrew Sunni Ali’s son Spread more orthodox Islam Efficient and fair ruler Conquered by Moroccans in 1591 (guns)

East Coast Trade Cities Islamic Influence New trade centers on Indian Ocean after fall of Aksum Spread Muslim religion along trade routes Slave/Gold trade Swahili language group Mix of Bantu & Arabic City-states Kilwa, Sofala, Mogadishu Great Zimbabwe (1200s – 1450) – Bantu for stone enclose Shona people’s in south-eastern Africa Controlled trade routes of gold to the coast City taxed traders Disappeared suddenly Suspected because of arrival of Portuguese Portuguese Conquest (1488)