1. African Civilizations, 1500 B.C.-A.D. 700
African cultures adapt to harsh environments, spread through major migrations, and establish powerful kingdoms.

2. African Civilizations, 1500 B.C.-A.D. 700
SECTION 1
Diverse Societies in Africa
SECTION 2
CASE STUDY: Migration
SECTION 3
The Kingdom of Aksum
These are my notes for slide 2

3. Diverse Societies in Africa
Section-1
Diverse Societies in Africa
African peoples develop diverse societies as they adapt to varied environments.

4. Diverse Societies in Africa
Section-1
Diverse Societies in Africa
A Land of Geographic Contrasts
Geography of Africa
• Large continent but coastline has few ports, harbors, or inlets
Challenging Environments
• Africa has many deserts, including huge Sahara
• The southern edge of the expanding Sahara is called the Sahel
• Rainforests found near central part of continent
Welcoming Lands
• Northern coast and southern tip of Africa have Mediterranean climates
• Savannas, or grasslands, cover almost half of Africa

5. Early Humans Adapt to Their Environments
Nomadic Lifestyle
• Earliest people are nomadic hunter-gatherers
• Herders drive animals to find water, graze pastures
Transition to a Settled Lifestyle
• Agriculture probably develops by 6000 B.C.
• As the Sahara dried up, farmers move to West Africa or Nile Valley
• Agriculture allows permanent settlement, governments to develop

6. Early Societies in Africa
Societies Organized by Family Groups
• Extended families made up of several generations
• Families with common ancestors form groups known as clans
Local Religions
• Early religions usually include elements of animism—belief in spirits
Keeping a History
• Few African societies have written languages
• History, literature, culture passed on by storytellers called griots
• Cultures in West Africa are advanced long before outsiders arrive

7. West African Iron Age Learning About the Past The Nok Culture
• Artifacts reveal how people lived in the past
• Evidence of sub-Saharan cultures producing iron around 500 B.C.
The Nok Culture
• Nok—West Africa’s earliest known culture—made iron tools, weapons
Djenné-Djeno
• From 600–200 B.C., cities begin to develop near rivers, oases
• Djenné-Djeno—Africa’s oldest known city (250 B.C.), discovered in 1977
• Bustling trade center; linked West African towns, camel trade routes

8. Migration Case Study: Bantu-Speaking Peoples
Section-2
Migration
Case Study: Bantu-Speaking Peoples
Relocation of large numbers of Bantu-speaking people brings cultural diffusion and change to southern Africa.

9. Migration Case Study: Bantu-Speaking Peoples People on the Move
Section-2
Migration
Case Study: Bantu-Speaking Peoples
People on the Move
Migration
• Migration—permanent move to new place; a pattern in human culture
Causes of Migration
• Push-pull factors—Conditions that push people out of an area or pull them in
Effects of Migration
• Brings diverse cultures into contact; changes life in the new land
Tracing Migration Through Language
• One way to trace migration is to study how languages spread
• Africa has many complex language families

10. Massive Migrations Bantu-speaking Peoples Migration Begins
• Bantu-speaking peoples—early Africans who spread culture and language
• Originally lived in savanna south of Sahara; now southeastern Nigeria
• The word Bantu means “the people”
Migration Begins
• Bantu speakers migrate south and east starting about 3000 B.C.
• Live by slash-and-burn farming, nomadic herding
• Share skills, learn new customs, adapt to environment
Continued…

11. Massive Migrations 2 Causes of Migration Effects of the Migration
• Bantu speakers move to find farmland, flee growing Sahara
• Need iron ore resources and hardwood forests for iron smelting
• Within 1,500 years they reach southern tip of Africa
Effects of the Migration
• Bantu speakers drive out some inhabitants; intermix with others
• Bantu migrations produce a great variety of cultures
• Language helps unify the continent

12. Section-3
The Kingdom of Aksum
The kingdom of Aksum becomes an international trading power and adopts Christianity.

13. The Kingdom of Aksum The Rise of the Kingdom of Aksum
Section-3
The Kingdom of Aksum
The Rise of the Kingdom of Aksum
Aksum’s Geography
• Aksum—kingdom replaces Kush in East Africa; blend of Africans, Arabs
• Located on Horn of Africa, modern day Ethiopia and Eritrea
• Trading kingdom linking Africa and Indian Ocean trade routes
The Origins of Aksum
• Land first mentioned in Greek guidebook in A.D. 100
• Rulers take control of areas around Blue Nile and Red Sea
• Dynasty of Aksum rules until 1975; ends with death of Haile Selassie
Continued…

14. The Rise of the Kingdom of Aksum {continued}
Aksum Controls International Trade
• Aksum is hub for caravan routes to Egypt and Meroë
• Adulis, chief port, has access to Mediterranean Sea, Indian Ocean
A Strong Ruler Expands the Kingdom
• King Ezana—strong ruler of Aksum from A.D. 325 to 360
• He conquers part of Arabian peninsula, now Yemen
• In 350 conquers Kushites and burns Meroë to ground

15. An International Culture Develops
Aksum Culture
• Blended cultural traditions of Arab peoples and Kushites
• Adulis population: Egyptian, Arabian, Greek, Roman, Persian, Indian
• Greek is international language; Aksumites trade gold to Rome
Aksumite Religion
• Believe in one god, Mahrem, and that king descended from him
• Are animists—worship spirits of nature and ancestors
• Exposed to Christianity by traders
Continued…

16. An International Culture Develops {continued}
Aksum Becomes Christian
• Young King Ezana educated by Christian man from Syria
• As ruler, Ezana declares Christianity as kingdom’s official religion
• Aksum, now part of Ethiopia, still home to millions of Christians
Aksumite Innovations
• Written language, minted coins, irrigation canals and dams
• Aksumites invent terrace farming due to hilly location
• Terraces—step like ridges constructed on mountain slopes

17. The Fall of Aksum Islam Islamic Invaders Aksum Isolated
• Aksum kingdom lasts 800 years; witnesses rise of Islam religion
• Followers of prophet Muhammad conquer all of Arabia by 632
Islamic Invaders
• Between A.D. 632 and 710, Islamic invaders leave Aksum alone
• In A.D. 710, they attack port city of Adulis, causing Aksum’s decline
Aksum Isolated
• As Islam spreads, Aksum rulers move capital to northern Ethiopia
• Isolation, soil erosion, deforestation cause loss of remaining power

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