AfricaAfrica

GeographyGeography◦North coast mountainous◦South of mountains Sahara◦Sub-Saharan Africa contains numerous regions

Hump- grasslands in interior and tropical forests along the coast

Horn- Snow capped Mountains, plateaus, and lakes, grassland

◦Central Africa- Congo basin Jungles

◦South Africa Hills, plateaus, deserts

Kush/ NubiaKush/ Nubia

Near the junction of White and Blue NilesContact between Kush and Egypt

Egyptian merchants later ruled by Egypt

◦disintegration of New Kingdom leads to independence

Kushite culture borrowed from Egypt Religious beliefs, hieroglyphics, pyramids for kings

internmentEconomy- agriculture and animal husbandry

trade state◦Strategically located near Moroe River◦Provided goods from central and east Africa

Axum, Son of SabaAxum, Son of Saba

Migrated across Red Sea

Owed wealth to location On trade routes

between India, and the Med◦ 4th cen. CE invades

Kush and conqueredReligion- claimed

decent from King Solomon

4th cen CE converted to Christianity◦ Called Coptic

Sahara and its environsSahara and its environsClimate originally cooler than today

◦3,000 BCE desertification◦Migrated east to Nile and south into grasslands

Began exchanging goods across Sahara Berber people

◦Pastoral people of N Africa◦May have spread ironworking south of the desert

Nok Nok

Northern Nigeria active iron working societies Terra-cotta and metal figurines 1st millennium BCE camels stimulate trans Saharan trade

fleets of the desert

GaramantesGaramantes

Libyan desert Constructed complex irrigation systems

Traded w/ Rome across Sahara Declined as a result of fall of Rome and drying of desert

East AfricaEast AfricaAlong shores of Indian ocean

◦Mixture of peoples Spoke Bantu Dialects

◦Language family moved from Niger River Valley East

◦subsistence farming Minimal population, ample land Small self sufficient political and economic villages

Rhapta- port city Trade along Indian ocean and down east coast of

Africa ◦Facilitated by monsoon winds◦Banana, yams

African SocietyAfrican Society5 of the major lang. familiesMore recent systems of writingUrban life

Towns began as fortified walled villages Teeming markets Symbiotic relationship with merchant class

◦Prevalence of peace in region

Village LifeVillage Life

Vast majority of inhabitants

Nuclear family and lineage groups

Combined into large kinship communities◦ Building blocks of

society◦ Authority of leading

members substantialVillage consist of

single lineage group Head of village “big

man” Believed to possess

supernatural powers

Role of WomenRole of WomenSubordinate to menPolygony not uncommon

Worked in field while men tended cattle or hunted

Specialized in commercial areasLineage matrilineal

Women companionship with men other than husband common

SlaverySlaveryPracticed in Africa since Ancient times

New Kingdom◦Slaving expeditions brought back from upper Nile

Berber tribes regularly raided ag communities south of Sahara

North Africa- as much as 75% of pop. Enslaved

May win freedomLiving conditions practically

indistinguishable from individuals in household

African cultureAfrican culturePainting and Sculpture

◦Earliest- rock paintings◦Wood carvings and sculpture◦Terra cotta and metal figurines

Music◦Served religious function◦Heavy rhythmic beats

Varied from society to society Wide variety of instruments

Architecture Pyramids stelea

◦Marked tombs of kings◦Some as high as 100’

Western Africa used dried mud