Classical Africa

• Nubian Culture: 6000B.C.E. - 1500C.E.

• Geography: junction of Blue and White Nile between 3rd & 6th cataract

• Avenue of Ideas: spread to Egypt> monarchy, totem, smelting

NubianNubian Kings Kings

• Piankhi:– led conquest of Egypt– combined ruler of Egypt & Nubia

• Taharka:– defeated Assyrians– mentioned in bible– revived architecture & literature

Candace: Title for Nubian Queen

Amarenas: One Eyed Candace

Defeated the Romans

Reasons for decline of Reasons for decline of NubiaNubia

• drought• rise in Kingdom of

Axum• Christian Nubia

joined in alliance with Crusaders

• conquered by Islamic Empire

Axum

AxumAxum

• Later became Abyssinia, then Ethiopia

•3,000,000 B.C.E. > Lucy or Dinknesh discovered in Eastern Ethiopia

Stone Hewn Stone Hewn Churches at Churches at

LalibelaLalibela

•1st Century C.E. > Christianity spreads to Axum

Celebration at Timkat

Attack & Isolation

•1540 > Muslim attack on Abyssinia fails, but they lose control of port cities on east coast

•1880’s Abyssinia remained independent while rest of Africa colonized

GriotGriot Keepers of

memories, oral historians

bards>combine history, music, poetry, dance, drama

•kept & passed on mental record of coronations, births, deaths, marriages, battles, etc.

KingdoKingdom of m of

GhanaGhana

• Salt Mines City of Taghaza =

major salt producing center of the Sahara

salt mines = forced labor by slaves (criminals or captives from war)

life expectancy in the mines = 2 years

Ghana’s Blacksmiths• mastery of metal work

in iron & gold revered & feared as

powerful magicians, (the power over the elements of the earth)

closed & secret society forge called “fan”,

means cosmic egg from which all life was born

forge >

four basic elements

•Fire, air, water, earth

Timbuktu

• Commercial Center• seat of Islamic

learning and culture• largest city in Mali &

Songhai Empires

Mansa Musa

•1307-1332• rebuilt capital, Timbuktu• pilgrimage to Mecca, 1324• established universities

Weavers of Mali• Respected & feared like

Ghana’s blacksmiths• loom symbolic of nature• believed the gods sent spider to

teach mankind magic of weaving

• Anansi, the spider, major character in West African mythology

Songhai or Songhay Empire

Songhai or Songhay Empire

• Began in 7th century along Niger river.

• great trading cities of Gao, Djenné, and Timbuktu.

B1

Askia MuhammadAskia Muhammad• king 1493-1528 • pilgrimage to

Mecca • Transformed

Songhai into an Islamic kingdom

African Civilizations• Were as advanced as European

civilizations during the Middle Ages• Stressed extended family ties• Were based on oral tradition• Were often matrilineal• Were weakened & destroyed by

the slave trade during the

1500’s