1. Seventh Grade Geography

2. What do we know about Africa? "Let's face it -- think of Africa, and the first images that come to mind are of war, poverty, famine and flies. How many of us really know anything at all about the truly great ancient African civilizations, which in their day, were just as splendid and glorious as any on the face of the earth?" --Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Wonders of the African World... (PBS Online,1999): http://www.pbs.org/wonders/ http://www.pbs.org/wonders/

3. 5 million – 2.5 million years ago Evidence of earliest human ancestors Hadar, Ethiopia, the 3.18 million year old remains of “Lucy” unearthed (1974 Richard Leahy) Check the DNA Trail http://www.bradshawfoun dation.com/journey/ http://www.bradshawfoun dation.com/journey/

4. The Great Rift Valley This is where oldest human fossil remains have been found

5. 20,000 – 13,000 years ago Height of the last glaciation Sea level 425 feet lower Temperatures lower by 5 degrees C Glaciers descended Tropical Africa drier – Lake Victoria was a shallow pool and didn’t feed White Nile Rainforests much reduced

6. 600,000 – 10,000 BCE Spread of species across Africa, Europe and Asia. Use of fire develops Earliest true Human “homo sapiens” dates from 200,000+ years ago Nomadic groups – San people spread throughout continent 25,000 years ago Rock paintings in North and South Africa Early rock painting from Ayou, Tibesti – nomadic herder, followed by wife in litter

7. 12,000 years ago Wetter conditions returned Lake Victoria filled up and fed the White Nile Lakes formed in inland basins in central Sahara Lake Chad was 12 times bigger and overflowed into the Atlantic Niger river fed by streams from Air Mountains Senegal River reached sea Savanna animals in what is now desert and pastoralists ( herders)

8. Sahara 8000-11000 years ago

9. Paintings in the Desert ( Algeria)

10. Paintings in the Desert (Garamantia – now Libya)

11. 6,000- 4,000 BCE River people emerge along Nile, Niger and Congo rivers Isonghee people of Zaire ( Congo) introduce abacus Spread of agriculture south of Sahara – animal domestication San groups forced into more inhospitable areas – e.g Kalahari proudafrica.com/ Travel.html

12. 5,000- 4,500 years ago “Final” major climatic shift Lakes between tropics dried up Areas turned arid Pastoralists evacuated much of Sahara and entered Nile valley

13. 5,000 years BCE Ancient Egytians established agriculture in Nile valley Called their land Kemet ( Land of Blacks) and Ta- Meri (Beloved Land) Food surpluses gave time to develop glass making, pottery, metallurgy, weaving, woodworking, etc.

14. 2,700- 1087 BCE Old Kingdom---Middle Kingdom----New Kingdom

15. Origins of Egyptians – an interesting debate What color were the Egyptians? 2 opposing schools of thought Africanist Origins in Mount Rwenzori in East Africa, Ethiopia/Nubia or the rest of Africa Classical Egyptologist- Origins a hybrid of European and African cultures

16. 1000-800 BCE Bantu (people) migration spreads through Sub-Saharan Africa Largest migration in human history Lasted 2,000 years Involved 60 million people Two branches West -> Angola, Namibia and Botswana East -> Zimbabwe, Mozambique, S.Africa Swahili language derives from Bantu Spread iron metallurgy and agricultural techniques throughout sub-Saharan Africa

17. 500-200 BCE Nok culture thrives in Forests of Central Nigeria ( ancestors of Yoruba peoples) Art and Terra Cottas

18. By 100 CE Rome conquered Egypt, Carthage and most of North Africa Granaries of the Empire

19. Ptolemy’s Africa ( 1st century)

20. 300-700 CE Rise of Axum ( Ethiopia) - conversion to Christianity Lalibella- major churches carved out of rock cliffs Axum

21. 600- 800 CE 610 Islam begins 639 Khalif Omar conquers Egypt 700-800 Islam sweeps across North Africa and into sub-Saharan Africa 740 Moors (Islamic Africans) invade Spain Bring art, science, engineering, scholarship

22. 750- 1100 CE Growth of trans-Saharan trade

23. The ship of the desert “Around 750 AD, under the influence of Islamic peoples, northern and western Africans began to use the camel to transport goods across this forbidding terrain. Camels do several things exceptionally well: they can carry unbelievably heavy loads for impossibly long distances and they can keep their footing on sandy terrain. It was as if someone had invented sand ships and its effect on western African culture was just as profound as if they were sand ships” Richard Hooker

24. 800-1100 CE Growth of gold trade across Sahel “Sahel” –arabic word for “shore/coast” West African gold, Kola nuts, slaves sent north in exchange for cloth, utensils, salt Rise of Ghana, Mali and Songhai Empires of the Savanna Rise of Timbucktu & its University

25. 1200 – 1325 Rise of Mali Empire Located near gold mines and flood plain of Niger River 1324 Mansa Musa – sensational pilgrimage to Mecca – 00’s of camels laded with gold Sankore Mosque

26. Mansa Musa

27. 1400s CE Swahili Cities flourish on East African coast Trade between East Africa and Middle East/Asia Indonesians brought bananas/spices Great Zimbabwe built Songhai Empire Controlled Niger River with a navy

28. The beginning of the slave trade 1409 – Portuguese reach Gold Coast (Ghana) 1441 – First shipment of African slaves sent directly to Portugal 1481 Sao Jorge da Mina “slave factory” established – gold, slaves, foodstuffs, ivory exchanged for ironware, firearms,textiles and foodstuffs

29. Europeans in Africa