Unit 2- African Civilizations

Believe it or not, but Blacks started civilization

INTRODUCTION

WHAT IT MEANS TO BE “CIVILIZED” ?

"Having a highly developed society or culture; Showing evidence of moral and intellectual advancement; humane, reasonable, ethical. The opposite of being savage.

CIVILIZED PEOPLE HAVE

• LAWS• A MEANS OF WRITTEN

COMMUNICATION • SYSTEM OF RECORD KEEPING• IMPROVED TECHNOLOGY• RESPECT FOR ONE ANOTHER• A PLAN FOR THE FUTURE• SPECIALIZED WORKERS

MESOPOTAMIA

LOCATED IN THE MIDDLE EAST

IT IS WHERE IRAQ IS LOCATED NOW.

MESOPOTAMIA MEANS LAND BETWEEN THE RIVERS IN GREEK.

BETWEEN THE EUPHRATES AND TIGRIS RIVERS

CONTRIBUTIONS OF MESOPOTAMIAN CIVILIZATIONS

Cuneiform was the first written language. It was written in clay.

CONTRIBUTIONS OF MESOPOTAMIAN CIVILIZATIONS

The earliest form of the wheel.

CONTRIBUTIONS OF MESOPOTAMIAN CIVILIZATIONS

Irrigation systems to provide water to grow crops since the land was dry and without much.

CONTRIBUTIONS OF MESOPOTAMIAN CIVILIZATIONS

Cities. Independent political units that had its own king that would rule over the common people.

CONTRIBUTIONS OF MESOPOTAMIAN CIVILIZATIONS

Domesticating animals to use them for personal human usage such as transportation and entertainment.

EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION

Egyptian Civilization

First of all….Egypt is and has always been IN AFRICA.

IF ANYONE tells you otherwise, please tell them to KICK ROCKS.

EGYPT

THE EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION WAS NEAR THE NILE RIVER WHICH PROVIDED A GREAT SOURCE FOR AGRICULTURE, FARMING, AND TRANSPORTATION .

EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION

The major controversy that surrounds the people of the Egyptian civilization is their RACE.

Many scholars and historians argue over whether they were black people or not.

REASON BEING…..

The Egyptian civilization contributed a lot to the modern day world. All historians and scholars recognize the greatness that Egypt is to the development of all societies.

Therefore, if the Egyptian people are Black, one would have to admit that Black people influenced whites around the world.

EGYPT’S INFLUENCE TO THE WORLD

•RELIGION•COMMERCE•PHILOSOPHY•ART•SCIENCE•MATHEMATICS

EGYPT’S LOCATION

Egypt was able to be successful for so long because of its closeness to the Nile River and the Sahara Desert.

OLD KINGDOM

OLD KINGDOM

Under the Old Kingdom, Egyptian kings claimed the status of gods.

MIDDLE KINGDOM

KINGS RE-ESTABLISHED THEIR ROYAL AUTHORITY INSTEAD OF CONSIDERING THE STATUS OF GODS AS THE KINGS IN THE OLD KINGDOM HAD DONE.

NEW KINGDOM

EGYPT EXPANDED ITS TERRITORY BEYOND THE NILE RIVER.

EGYPTIAN KINGS BEGAN USING THE TITLE “PHAROAH”., which means “great house.”

ANCIENT EYGPT BEGAN LIKE THIS

OVER THE YEARS IT EXPANDED

AND EVENTUALLY BECAME THIS

IN ANCIENT EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATIONS MEN AND WOMEN

HAD CERTAIN PRIVILEDGES

EYGPTIAN MEN

WERE ABLE TO TAKE ON ADDITIONAL WIVES IF THE FIRST WIFE COULD NOT PRODUCE CHILDREN.

EGYPTIAN WOMEN

• OWNED PROPERTY• OVERSAW SLAVES• CONTROLLED EDUCATION OF

THEIR CHILDREN• HELD PUBLIC OFFICE• SERVED AS PRIESTS• OPERATED BUSINESSES

ANCIENT EGYPTIAN RELIGION

RELIGION WAS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS.

IT WAS A PART OF EVERY ASPECT OF THEIR LIVES.

ANCIENT EGYPTIAN RELIGION

RE ( OR RA) WAS THE SUN GOD

EGYPTIAN RELIGION

OSIRIS WAS THE GOD OF THE NILE.

EGYPTIAN PYRAMIDS

THE EGYPTIAN PYRAMIDS AT GIZA ARE TOMBS THAT PROTECT THE BODIES OF THREE KINGS.

THESE PYRAMIDS SYMBOLIZE THE POWER OF THE EQYPTIAN CIVILIZATION.

SPHYNX

THE SPHINX IS A MONUMENT OF A MYTHICAL CREATURE WITH THE HEAD OF A HUMAN AND THE BODY OF A LION.

ANKH

THE ANKH IS AN EGYPTIAN SYMBOL THAT MEANS THE BREATH OF LIFE OR KEY OF THE NILE.

THEY APPEAR IN MANY PICTURES WITHIN THE ANCIENT EGYPTIAN CULTURE.

THE OBELISK

THE OBELISK IS A STONE PILLAR FROM EGYPT THAT HAS A SQUARE BASE, RECTANGULAR MIDSECTION, AND A PYRAMID TOP.

LOOK FAMILIAR ???

AKHENETAN

AN EGYPTIAN PHARAOH ( KING ) THAT IS KNOWN FOR ABANDONING POYTHEISM AND FOCUSING ON THE BELIEF IN ONE GOD- IN PARTICULAR – RA (THE SUN GOD).

NEFERTITI

• NAME MEANS “THE BEAUTY HAS COME”.

• WELL KNOWN FOR HER BEAUTY

• GIVEN THE POWERS OF A PHARAOH EVEN THOUGH SHE WAS A WOMAN & RULED SIDE BY SIDE WITH HER HUSBAND AKHENETAN

HATSHEPSUT

WELL KNOWN FOR BEING THE MOST SUCCESFUL FEMALE PHAROAH FROM THE EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION.

HATSHEPSUT

IS SOMETIMES DEPICTED AS A MALE – WITH THE BEARD, BECAUSE SOME DID NOT WANT HISTORY TO NOTE THE GREATNESS FROM A WOMAN.

CLEOPATRA

The last pharaoh of the Egyptian civilization and one of the most feared and respected, even though she was female.

Known for her looks and charming ways and love affairs with two Greek legends.

HIEROGLYPHICS

MEANS “GOD’S WORDS”.

ANCIENT EGYPTIAN WRITING SYSTEM THAT USED PICTURES AND LETTERS.

UNABLE TO BE READ FOR CENTURIES.

TUTANKHAMUN

One of the most popular of all Egyptian pharaohs.

His father was Akhenetan and his mother was Akhenetan’s sister !

Known as King Tut. His tomb and artifacts are perhaps the best preserved of all dead pharaohs.

KUSH

NOT YOUR KUSH !!!!!!

KUSH CIVILIZATION

THE KUSH CIVILIZATION WAS SOUTH OF EGYPT IN AN AREA CALLED NUBIA.

KUSH CIVILIZATION

IN TODAY’S TIME THAT LAND IS THE COUNTRY OF SUDAN.

KUSH CIVILIZATION

THE NUBIANS GAVE THE EGYPTIANS :

• THE IDEA OF GRAIN PRODUCTION

• THE CONCEPT OF MONARCHY

GRAINS

GRAINS ARE ANYTHING LIKE

WHEATRICEBEANSSEEDS

MONARCHY

MONARCHY IS WHEN SUPREME POWER IS GIVEN TO ONE PERSON UNTIL THEIR DEATH.

KUSH CIVILIZATION

THE EGYPTIAN CULTURE WAS INTRODUCED TO THE NUBIAN CULTURE WHEN NUBIAN HOSTAGES RETURNED HOME FROM EGYPT…BRINGING • RELIGION • ART• HIEROGLYPHICS• POLITICAL STRUCTURE

THE KUSH CIVILIZATION

ESTABLISHED AT THE END OF THE 2ND MILLENIUM B.C WHEN EGYPTS NEW KINGDOM WAS ON THE DECLINE.

KING PIANKHY

EXPANDED THE KUSH TERRITORY BY ADDING LOWER EGYPT.

MADE HIMSELF A PHAROAH

FOUNDED EGYPT’S 25TH DYNASTY.

Kush & Egypt similarities

The similarity between the Kushites and the Egyptians were : •Language •Religion

MEROE

Place where trading took place which made Kush very wealthy.

Became Africa’s first industrial center.

THE FALL OF THE KUSH CIVILIZATION

THE FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE, WHICH KUSH DEPENDED ON FOR TRADE LED TO THE WEAKINING OF THEIR CIVILIZATION.

WHO DESTROYED MEROE ?

AXUM WARRIORS ARE THE ONES WHO ACTUALLY DESTROYED THE ONCE WEALTHY MEROE.

PRESENT DAY AXUM

AXUM IS PRESENTLY WHERE THE AFRICAN COUNTRY OF ETHIOPIA IS LOCATED.

RELIGION IN AXUM

AXUM WAS ACTUALLY THE FIRST CHRISTIAN STATE IN SUB SAHARAN AFRICA, SO THAT MEANS THEY PRACTICED:

CHRISTIANITY(ALTHOUGH IT WAS SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT FROM WHAT WAS TAUGHT SOME YEARS LATER)