1. WEST AFRICA
Chapter 5.2

2. Early Culture and Trade
7.4.2
The Big Idea
Family ties, religion, iron technology, and trade all contributed to the growth of West African societies.

3. Early Culture and Trade
Main Idea 1:
Family and religion influenced daily life in early West African society.

4. Family in West Africa
A typical West African family was an extended family, which included the father, mother, children and close relatives in one household – including aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.

5. Family in West Africa

6. Family in West Africa
Some people took part in another type of group, called age sets.
In these groups, people who had been born within the same two or three years formed special bonds where they felt a loyalty to help each other out.
West African boys like these knew they could
lean on each other for help as they got older

7. Family in West Africa
Loyalty to families and age-sets helped the people of a village work together because everyone had specific duties.

8. Family in West Africa Men hunted, farmed and fished.
Many West African’s relied on the fish of the Niger River to provide food.

9. Fishing on the Niger River was often done in canoe like boats as you see here. The people of West Africa still rely on the fish of West Africa even today.

10. Some fishermen still use the same techniques from hundreds of years ago.

11. Family in West Africa
Women farmed and cared for the children.

12. Family in West Africa

13. Family in West Africa Elders taught traditions to the children.
Children started working as soon as they were able.

14. Religion in West Africa
Many West Africans believed that unseen spirits of their ancestors stayed nearby and could influence their world.
They shared their problems and news with the spirits and even offered them food.

15. Religion in West Africa
West Africans also believed that bodies of water, animals, trees and other natural objects have spirits.
This belief is known as animism.

16. Iron Technology Main Idea 2:
Iron technology changed life in West Africa.

17. Iron Technology
Changes in technology helped some early communities grow.
The people of Nok began using iron to make farm tools and weapons.

18. Iron Technology Because of this iron technology…
Farmers could work the land faster and grow more food.
Warriors gained power with better weapons.
People could live in places they hadn’t been able to before.

19. West African Trade Main Idea 3:
Trade shaped the history of West Africa.

20. West African Trade
West Africans began to trade the area’s resources with buyers who lived thousands of miles away. They traded gold, salt, cloth, copper, silver, and other items.

21. West African Trade
Camels were used to transport goods over long distances because they could store water and carry heavy loads.

22. People in West Africa knew two ways of making salt.
Salt Production
People in West Africa knew two ways of making salt.
Letters A-B explain how coastal people produced salt by the Evaporation Process.
Letters C-D explain how desert dwellers produced salt by the Mining process.

23. 9. Which statement is true about West African society?
Aunts and uncles are not considered part of
the extended families.
Family relationships were not important.
Family loyalty and age sets helped Africans work
together.
Africans didn’t have to work until they got married.

24. 11. Iron changed life in West Africa because of its impact on _____.
A. farming and religion.
trade and religion.
family life and farming.
farming and fighting.

25. 12. Which option below had the biggest impact on trade in West Africa?
Camels
Iron technology
Extended families