African Civilizations, 1500 B.C.-A.D. 700, Chapter 8-1

BIRAGO DIOP (Senegal) BREATH (It is the breath of the ancestors) Listen more often to things than to beings Hear the fire's voice, Hear the voice of water. Hear, in the wind, the sobbing of the trees. It is the breath of the ancestors. The dead are not gone forever They are in the paling shadows, They are in the darkening shadows. The dead are not beneath the ground, They are in the rustling tree, In the murmuring wood, the flowing water, The still water, In the lonely place, in the crowd; The dead are never dead. Listen more often to things than to beings. Hear the fire's voice Hear the voice of water. In the wind hear the sobbing of the trees. It is the breath of the ancestors. They are not gone They are not beneath the ground They are not dead. The dead are not gone forever. They are in a woman's breast, A child's cry, a glowing ember. The dead are not beneath the earth, They are in the flickering fire, In the weeping plant, the groaning rock, The wooded place, the home. The dead are never dead. Listen more often to things than to beings Hear the fire's voice, Hear the voice of water. Hear, in the wind, the sobbing of the trees. It is the breath of the ancestors. (play music)

Africa is the second largest continent in the world. It reaches 4,600 miles from east to west and 5,000 miles from north to south. It has one-fifth of the earth’s land. Much of the land is a high plateau, with lower land near the coasts. A plateau is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrainplateau The rivers that flow along this high land often form waterfalls or rapids.waterfalls

Boats cannot use these rivers to travel either to or from the coast. The coastline is not good for boats. It has relatively few harbors. Africa has many different environments. The Equator crosses Africa and much of the continent lies in the tropics, where the weather is hot all year round. Tropics defined as everything between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.

Even in this area, the environments are widely different. –There are hot, dry deserts. –Steamy, wet rain forests –And high, cool mountains About one-third of Africa’s land is desert Dense, rainforests cover much of the central part of Africa. This area receives heavy rainfall.

The African Rainforest

Trees grow to towering heights and block sunlight from the forest floor. As a result, few small plants grow underneath the tall trees. The northern and southern regions of Africa have large numbers of people. They have good soil for farming and plenty of grass for animals to eat.

Most Africans live on the grasslands that cover 40 % of the continent.

They grow grains, including rice and wheat, and tend to cattle. Each year, the Sahara Desert expands and takes away a bit more of this grassland. The first humans in Africa got food by hunting animals and gathering plants. Even today, some African peoples still use this method.

Experts believe that agriculture in Africa probably began around 6000 B.C. Between 8000 and 6000 B.C. the Sahara received increased rainfall and turned into a savanna. By 6000 B.C. the Sahara began to dry up again.

The people then left the desert. They went to farm in the Nile Valley or West Africa or on the grasslands(aka,Savannas) Some moved to the rainforests. The grasslands had good soil and the people could grow extra food. With more food, people lived longer and the population grew.

African peoples had many differences because of the different environments in which they lived. The people who lived south of the Sahara, had these features in common: 1--The family was the most important unit of society. In some groups, family was considered all people who come from common ancestors. This is called a clan.

2--The believed that one god created the world. Also, they felt that plants, animals and other natural forces all have spirits and play an important role in life (Animism). –Animists believed that souls or spirits exist not only in humans but also in other animals, plants, rocks, natural phenomena such as thunder, geographic features such as mountains or rivers, or other entities of the natural environment.

In many animistic world views found in hunter- gatherer cultures, the human being is often regarded as on a roughly equal footing with other animals, plants, and natural forces. Therefore, it is morally imperative to treat these agents with respect. In this world view, humans are considered a part of nature, rather than superior to, or separate from it.

3—They relied on oral storytelling, rather than writing, to pass on the traditions of their people (Griots).Griots The Nok (nahk) culture of West Africa existed from 500 B.C. to A.D They are known for being the first people in Africa who knew how to make iron.

Archaeologists found an ancient city in West Africa called Djenne-Djeno. This is the oldest known African city south of the Sahara. The city rested on the banks of the Niger River. Researchers have found thousands of objects such as pottery, toys, jewelry and knives dating back to 250 B.C.Niger

The city held about 50,000. They grew rice, raised cattle and made iron. They traded these goods for gold and copper.