1. Early African Civilizations
Describe the rise and achievements of African civilizations.

2. Geography – largest continent after Asia
Regions – North Africa & Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan – savanna, Rift Valley, rain forest, desert

3. Rain Forest
Desert
Mild zone
Savanah

4. Kush – Nubia developed into Kush by 2000 B.C.
Assyria – iron weapons; defeated Egyptians & Kushites, 671 B.C.
Meroe – new capital & center for iron production

5. Location on Red Sea – facilitated prosperity as trading power
Axum – founded by Arabs
Location on Red Sea – facilitated prosperity as trading power
Ezana – made Christianity official religion, A.D. 330

8. Axum influnces

9. Communal Eating

10. Ghana – name for “king” & a region; 1st great trading state
Located between Saharan salt mines & tropical gold mines
Berbers – nomads; camel caravans – “fleets of the desert”

11. The Salt Mines

12. Berbers

13. Fleets of the Desert

14. Mali – “where the king resides”
Sundiata Keita – “lion prince;” brought prosperity in mid-13th century
Mansa Musa – greatest king of Mali; introduced Islamic culture
Timbuktu – capital, center of Islamic art & learning

16. Timbuktu

18. Songhai – region along the Niger River
Sunni Ali – early ruler who conquered Timbuktu
Askia Muhammad – “usurper” ruled Songhai Empire at height of glory
Morocco – defeated the Songhai in A.D. 1589

19. Bantu Kingdoms – Central & South Africa
Bantu migrations – West Africa to other parts of continent
Bantu – became language spoken by many groups
Great Zimbabwe – “stone house;” largest fortress; no mortar

20. Great Zimbabwe

21. East Africa – trade with South Asia began as early as 500 B.C.
Coastal city-states: Kilwa, Mombasa, Mogadishu
Blending of cultures – adopted Islam & Islamic culture
Swahili – Bantu-based, Arabic-influenced language

22. Aspects of society – reliance on oral tradition
Lineage groups – claimed descent from common ancestor
Women – subordinate to men; valued for work & child raising
Matrilineal – traced descent thru mother
Patrilineal – traced descent thru father
Education – boys & girls raised together until age six
Girls – “house of the women,” home & field work
Boys – “house of the men,” hunt, fish, grow crops
Initiation ceremonies at puberty
Slavery – an ancient practice in Africa

23. Religious beliefs – polytheistic
Animism - souls inhabit all or most objects
Communicated with gods thru ritual
Diviner – power to foretell events
Ancestors – important because they were closer to the gods
Islam – challenged but did not replace religious beliefs

24. Animism

25. Culture – art was meant to express religious conviction
Rock paintings – earliest art form, B.C.
Dance – means to communicate with the spirits
Music – words served to transmit legends & traditions
Griots – storytellers who kept alive a people’s history

27. Griot