Ancient Nubia built 223 Pyramids That’s double the number of pyramids built in Egypt.

Nubia, Kush, & Axum

Nubia and Egypt  2000 B.C. Nubia and Egypt trade with each other  Egypt wanted control over trade in ivory, ebony, frankincense, and leopard skins.  Egypt took control over Nubia’s trading and collected taxes from Nubia for a few hundred years.

Weapons Technology: Bronze  Nubia acquired bronze weapons technology from the Egyptians.  Nubia forced Egypt out of Kush territory.  Kush conquered Egypt in 750 B.C.

Iron Trumps Bronze  The Assyrians take the Egyptian territory from Kush in 663 B.C.  Kush gets iron working technology from Assyrians  Kush had a lot of iron ore.

Meroë  The Kush city Meroë was the center of a huge trade in iron products.  Kush traded their iron products with the Roman Empire, Arabia, India, and an East African Arab colony called Axum.

Axum  Began as an Arab colony   Got iron technology from Kush   Axum became an independent state   Competed with Kush for control over the ivory trade   Axum ruler King Ezana ordered the invasion of Kush and conquered it.

King Ezna  King Ezana adopted Christianity as the official religion of Axum 330 A.D.  Axum became the first Christian Empire in the world.

Type 2 Writing  What most influenced the history of East Africa during the time of Nubia, Kush, or Axum?

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