African Civilizations1500 B.C.- A.D. 700

SSWH6 The student will describe the diverse characteristics of early African societies before 1800.

a. Identify the Bantu migration patterns and contribution to settled agriculture.

Geography of the African Continent

Facts• Variety of climate zones• 2nd largest continent

– 4,600 miles from east to west and 5,000 miles from north to south

• Sahara Desert- Stretches from the Red Sea to the Atlantic Ocean

• Narrow coastline, plateau, water falls, rapids, few harbors or natural ports

• Interior rivers move people and goods

• Natural resources: salt, gold, iron, copper, diamonds

Africa’s Early Inhabitants• Nomadic, hunter-gatherers

(Pastoralists)– Some of the earliest people

• San of the Kalahari Desert• Bambuti

• Agriculture improved the way people lived:

• Growing food allowed permanent shelters

• Increased food supplies allowed settlements to form complex societies

• Primary family groups= parents, children, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins

• Pioneered iron-making technology

Traditions• Religion

– Animist- all plants, animals, and objects have spirits

• Traditional beliefs – one god- – kings were descendants of

Animists

• Syncretism- blending of Christian, Muslim and Traditional beliefs.

• Griots-– helped keep traditions alive and

recorded history through story-telling

• Primary source“I am a groit… master in the art of eloquence…we are vessels of speech, we are the repositories [storehouses] which harbor secrets many centuries old… without us the names of kings would vanish…We are the memory of mankind; by the spoken word we bring to life the deeds… of younger generations… For the world is old, but the future springs from the past.

Djeli Mamoudou Kouyate, from Sundiata, an epic of old Mali

Africa’s Earliest Culture and CityArchaeologist main source of information about early Africa comes from

– Pottery, charcoal, and slag•Evidence of Iron age (no evidence of copper or Bronze age)•The Nok Culture

– Lived in present day Nigeria between 500 B.C. and A.D. 200

– First west Africans known to smelt iron• Iron was smelted into farming

tools and hunting weapons

Africa’s Earliest Culture and City• Cities started to develop south of the

Sahara around 600 B.C. -200 B.C. • Mainly around rivers• Oldest African City south of the

Sahara– Djenne-Djeno (jeh-nay jeh-noh)

• Discovered artifacts about city in 1977

• Believed at height 50,000 residents

• Bartered rice, fish and pottery for copper, gold and salt

• Major trading center

The Bantu People• The term Bantu refers to group of

people who speak the same or similar language with common word “NTU” which means a person. The Bantu-speaking groups include the Baganda, Banyoro, Batoro in Uganda, Kikuyu, Akamba, Meru, Embu, Taita, Giryama, Digo in Kenya and Pokomo, Chagga, Yao, Segeju, Zaramo in Tanzania, as well as many other smaller groups.

The Waves of Bantu Migrations• Migration route- South-east from the center

of Africa along the Congo River• The Bantu is believed to have moved in three

or groups – One wave moved through east Africa– One wave moved through the center of

the continent– Possible 3rd wave- Bantu ancestors of the

modern Swahili mastered sailing technology and made canoes and boats that travel the Zambezi river

• Slow but steady- people are not speeding across the landscape, they are moving slowly, gradually inhabiting areas that were good for farming and raising livestock

Bantu Migration• Rather than arriving all at once like conquerors, the

migrations were sporadic with small groups of people moving from one point to another.

• It is not clear how the Bantu reacted when they came upon existing communities but it is likely that new groups merged with existing groups. Both groups took on parts of each other’s cultures and practices.

• The Bantu were armed with superior weapons and their iron tools allowed them to plant crops and clear forests efficiently.

• Historians believe there was social interaction, intermarrying and trade between Bantu communities.

Push Factors for the Bantu Migration

• Drought and famine• Population increase which resulted in over crowding• Constant attacks (external pressure) from stronger

tribes in West Africa and the Nile valley• Internal conflicts from other Bantu tribes• Epidemics and diseases• Search for fertile land• Need for water and pasture for their animals• Export their iron-working culture.

Positive Results of the Bantu Migration

• Introduction of iron working: they introduced iron-working and the use of iron tools in the interior of East Africa

• Introduction of new crops e.g. yams, bananas: the Bantu introduced and increased the knowledge of food and extensive crop cultivation

• Introduction of new language, led to a widespread Bantu languages of “NTU” prefix in East Africa.

• Introduced centralized system of government whereby the king acted as the overall ruler

• Introduced a system of building permanent homes

• Introduced subsistence agriculture, whereby they grew enough food for home consumption, and the rest could be kept in case of shortages, or be exchanged in barter trade.

• Led to a rise of large states and bigger tribes in East Africa, e.g. the Baganda, Kikuyu, Nyamwezi. e.t.c

Negative Results of the Bantu Migration

• The Bantu migration led to depopulation. This was caused by the frequent attacks made by the Bantu against the people East Africa for land, through wars. Many people died through these wars, e.g. the Zimba would attack people at the coast, kill them, and eat their flesh (i.e. cannibalism).

• There was loss of culture due to cultural absorption. This was brought about due to Bantu intermarrying with the non- Bantu peoples, whom they came across.

• There was transformation of languages into new ones. This led to the dying down of some of the Bantu languages, while others remained.

Evidence of Bantu Migration• Languages

Languages spoken in some parts of eastern, central and southern Africa show similarities with the Bantu language originally spoken in West Africa. The Bantu languages (more than 900) are spoken by 1/3 of all Africans

• PotterySimilar pottery technology and decoration in eastern, southern and western Africa.

• IronThere is little or no evidence of iron tools in eastern and southern Africa before the arrival of the Bantu suggesting that new technology was spread by the migrants.

Bantu Artifacts

The Kingdom of Aksum

• Located in East Africa• South of Kush in present day Ethiopia• Conquered the Kush

King Ezana Expands Aksum

• Ezana- strong Aksum king who rose to power in A.D. 325

• took over Arabian peninsula trading colony and Kush• Aksum Empire expanded inland and along Red Sea;

controlled trade• Ezana learned about Christianity, made it Aksumʼs

official religion

REVIEW QUESTIONHow did Ezana influence the culture of Aksum?

Perfect Trade Location• had trade access to Red Sea, Mediterranean, Indian Ocean, Nile• Arab traders built colonies, trading posts in area• Aksum became meeting place for African, Arabian, other peoples• Aksum became a trading hub• traders from Egypt, Africa, Arabia, Mediterranean, Persia, India• Adulis—city on the Red Sea; main trading port for Aksum• traded salt, ivory, cloth, brass, iron, gold, glass, olive oil, wine• animal traders bought giraffes and elephantsREVIEW QUESTIONWhat made Aksum’s location ideal for trade?

Aksum’s Achievements• Architecture• Aksum culture blended influences Africa and

southern Arabia• Pillars of Aksum, 60 to over 100 feet tall, were

placed around country• Large temples were replaced by richly decorated

Christian churches• A Written Language• Written language Geʼez brought to Aksum by

Arabian migrants basis for modern languages of Amharic, Tigrinya, Tigre Geʼez still used in Ethiopian Church

• Terraced Farming• On hilly terrain, farmers built terraces—

leveled-off areas of land flat terraces hold moisture better, increase

amount of farmland

Also built canals, dams, holding ponds to bring water to

fields

The Fall of Aksum

• Cultural and technological achievements allowed Aksum to last for 800 years

• Kingdom declined because of Islamic invaders– In 710 Islamic invaders destroyed Adulis– As Islam spread throughout the area Aksum became

isolated from the Christian settlement– Aksum moved their capitol to northern Ethiopia in the

mountains• This new location along with depletion of the forest

and soil erosion led to the decline of the kingdom

Summary

• Aksum became a powerful trading center.• King Ezana expanded Aksumʼs empire.• Aksumʼs unique culture had long-lasting

effects

• Why It Matters Now...Many Ethiopians today are Christians, the religion of King Ezana.