1. CLASSICAL CIVS IN AFRICA

2. Meroe  Established circa 300 BCE  Ancestral ties to dynastic Egypt  Survived a Roman invasion  Hieroglyphic alphabet that is as of yet untranslatable  Massive iron productions  Still unexcavated  Height: 1 st century CE  Declined as Axum (Aksum) gained power Ancient Ethiopian City- State The largest site of Kush civilization's burial pyramids is at Meroe.

3. Axum  Modern-day Ethiopia  Aksumites controlled the Red Sea coastline and carried on extensive trade with Greek and Egyptian merchants, acting as the outlet for such sub-Saharan products as ebony, ivory, and exotic animals.  By the 3rd century, the Aksumites were noted as a major empire  Controlled the Horn of Africa and the southern portion of the Arabian Peninsula, from which they collected tribute.

4. King Ezana  4 th century CE  Ezana conquered the Kush.  Ezana gave credit to the Christian God, marking the fact that Aksum was converted to Christianity during his reign.

5. Axum Religion  Tolerant Christians: Jewish, Kushite, and even Buddhist enclaves  Good trade relations with the Byzantine Empire  With the growth of Islam, the power of Aksum began to slip, though the Aksumites sheltered persecuted Muslims from Mecca  Christian island in a sea of Islam and maintained cordial relations with its neighbors  Though not conquered by Islam, Aksum would not regain its former influence.

6. Other Azum Facts  Controlled extensive fertile land that gave a solid agricultural base  3 rd century on: well known for its architecture and monolithic monuments  First African nation to mint coins in gold, silver, and copper Aksumite king Ezana's stela, one of the massive stone pillars that remain a vivid emblem of the skill of craftspeople in the kingdom of Aksum.

7. Resources  "Aksum." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 13 Dec. 2010.  "Aksumite crowns." Image. Corel. World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 13 Dec. 2010.  "Kingdoms of Kush and Aksum." Map. World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 13 Dec. 2010  "Meroe burial pyramids." Image. Uros Ravbar/Dreamstime. World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 13 Dec. 2010.  "Meroe." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 13 Dec. 2010.  http://www.pbs.org/wonders/Episodes/Epi1/1_wondr4.htm