Ch 8 African Civilizations 1500 BC – AD 700

Diverse Societies in Africa Sec 1

What is the geography of Africa like? Warm Up:

Africa Africa is the second largest continent on earth 4,600 miles from east to west 5,200 miles from north to south 11.7 million square miles 1/5 of Earth’s land surface

Geography Narrow coastline (50 to 100 miles) around a central plateau Rapids and waterfalls created by the plateau make navigation impossible Few harbors, ports, or inlets Europe is 1/3 the size of Africa but has more coastline

Challenging Environment Each African environment offers its own unique challenges Sahara- largest desert in Africa, roughly the size of the United States Desertification- Every year the desert takes over more of the land on the southern edge

What kind of problems does a rainforest present to humans?

Rainforest The rainforest is a very different environment but still presents many problems Tsetse Fly- deadly insect that carries a deadly disease for livestock and can cause fatal sleeping sickness in humans

Savannas The northern coast and southern tip of Africa have welcoming Mediterranean-type climates and fertile soil. Because these areas are so fertile they are densely populated with farmers and herders Most people in Africa live on savannas, or grassy plains

Early Humans Adapt to Their Environment The first humans appeared in the Great Rift Valley People moved outward from this area in the world’s first migration They developed technologies to help them survive in and then alter their surroundings

Nomadic Lifestyle Africa’s earliest people were nomadic hunter-gatherers Today some people in Africa still follow a nomadic lifestyle The San of the Kalahari desert are still hunter-gatherers who hunt with spears and bows and gather fruits and berries

Pastoralists Other early Africans eventually learned to domesticate and raise a variety of animals for food Called herders, or pastoralists, these people kept goats, sheep, or cattle. They were nomads who drove their animals to find water and good pasture in the season The Masai of Tanzania are still pastoral herders who measure wealth by the size of their herds

Transition to a Settled Lifestyle Experts believe agriculture began in Africa around 6000 BC Grain grew well on the savannas and many Africans began to raise cattle in areas free from tsetse flies Other Africans learned to farm in the rainforest growing crops such as yams, that needed little sunlight

Agriculture Agriculture greatly changed the way Africans lived Growing their own food enable them to build permanent shelters in one location Settlements expanded because reliable food sources led to longer, healthier lives, and increased birthrates

Early Societies The societies south of the Sahara shared common elements such as the basic social unit, the family Besides parents and children the family often included grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins in an extended family

Animism African peoples developed belief systems that helped them understand and organize information about their world Nearly all of these local religions believed in one creator, or god Animism- religion in which spirits play an important role in regulating daily life Animists believe spirits are present in animals, plants, and other natural forces

Keeping a History Few African societies had written languages Instead, storytellers shared orally the history and literature of a culture These storytellers kept the history alive by passing it from one generation to the next

West African Iron Age West Africa’s earliest known culture was that of the Nok people They were the first African people known to smelt iron for use as tools for farming and weapons for hunting

Djenne-Djeno Djenne-Djeno- oldest known city in Africa south of the Sahara that existed between 25 BC and AD 1400 At its height it included 50,000 people

Migration Sec 2

What are some reasons why people migrate?

Migration Migration- permanent move from one country or region to another

Causes of Migration Environmental- natural disasters, climate change Economic- lack of jobs, opportunity for jobs Political- harsh rulers, persecution, war In earliest human life, environmental factors were likely the strongest

Push-Pull Factors Push-pull factors- when looking at migration certain factors can either push people out of an area or pull them into an area What are 3 examples from history of push- pull factors?

Effects of Migration Change in population density Cultural diffusion- blending of cultures, languages, ideas, and technologies Quality of life may be improved Conflict between between groups

How do anthropologists and archeologists trace ancient migrations?

Tracing Migration Through Language One way experts can trace the patterns of movement of people over time is by studying the spread of languages If two languages have similar words for the same thing it is likely the two peoples were in close contact at one time

Bantu-speaking Peoples Bantu-speaking peoples- groups of African people who originally lived in the savannas south of the Sahara Desert, in the area that is now Nigeria

Bantu Map

Migration Begins At least 2000 years ago small groups of Bantu speakers began to move south and east The farming techniques they used depleted nutrition in the soil and forced them to move every few years Slash and burn- a patch of forest is cut down and burned and the ashes are used to fertilize the soil

Bantu Migration The Bantu followed the Congo River through the rainforest and farmed on its banks As they moved east into the savannas they adapted their techniques for herding sheep and goats to raising cattle As they migrated they learned to cultivate new crops such as bananas

Causes of Migration Anthropologists believe that as agriculture developed, they were able to produce more food and the population grew As the population grew they needed to plant more land Eventually they ran out of land and people began to move

Effects of Migration Some areas where the Bantu moved were inhabited by other people such as the BaMbuti and the San Territorial wars often broke and the Bantu drove off the others with their iron weapons Exchange of ideas with others Created unique cultures

Kingdom of Aksum Sec 3

Aksum Aksum- powerful kingdom located in modern Ethiopia and Eritrea that reached its height in the 4 th century AD Legend traces the origins of Aksum to King Solomon and the Queen of Sheeba The dynasty ended in 1975 with the death of Haile Selassie

International Trade Aksum’s location made it a hub for international trade They had access to the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean Traders from Egypt, Arabia, Persia, India, and the Roman Empire crowded the chief seaport of Adulis Merchants traded goods such as salt, rhino horns, tortoise shells, ivory, emeralds, and gold for cloth, glass, olive oil, wine, brass, iron, and copper

Height of Aksum Aksum reached its height between AD 325 and AD 360 when they were ruled by Ezana An international culture developed due to its location on the trade routes

Aksumite Religion Traditionally believed in one god called Mahrem and their king descended directly from him They were also animists, who worshipped spirits of nature and honored their dead ancestors Offered sacrifices to Mahrem and to Ares

Aksum Becomes Christian When Ezana took his throne he converted to Christianity and made it the official religion of the empire Ethiopia is still home to millions of Christians today

Aksum’s Innovations Established a written language First state south of the Sahara to use their own coins Terraces- steplike ridges constructed on mountain slopes that greatly increase the productivity of land

Terraces

Fall of Aksum Islamic invaders eventually began taking the kingdom apart and led to its decline