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Ch 8 African Civilizations
1500 BC – AD 700
Diverse Societies in Africa
Sec 1
What is the geography of Africa like?
Warm Up:
Africa
• Africa is the second largest continent on earth
• 4,600 miles from east to west
• 5,200 miles from north to south
• 11.7 million square miles
• 1/5 of Earth’s land surface
Geography
• Narrow coastline (50 to 100 miles) around a central plateau
• Rapids and waterfalls created by the plateau make navigation impossible
• Few harbors, ports, or inlets
• Europe is 1/3 the size of Africa but has more coastline
Challenging Environment
• Each African environment offers its own unique challenges
• Sahara- largest desert in Africa, roughly the size of the United States
• Desertification- Every year the desert takes over more of the land on the southern edge
What kind of problems does a rainforest present to humans?
Rainforest
• The rainforest is a very different environment but still presents many problems
• Tsetse Fly- deadly insect that carries a deadly disease for livestock and can cause fatal sleeping sickness in humans
Savannas
• The northern coast and southern tip of Africa have welcoming Mediterranean-type climates and fertile soil.
• Because these areas are so fertile they are densely populated with farmers and herders
• Most people in Africa live on savannas, or grassy plains
Early Humans Adapt to Their Environment
• The first humans appeared in the Great Rift Valley
• People moved outward from this area in the world’s first migration
• They developed technologies to help them survive in and then alter their surroundings
Nomadic Lifestyle
• Africa’s earliest people were nomadic hunter-gatherers
• Today some people in Africa still follow a nomadic lifestyle
• The San of the Kalahari desert are still hunter-gatherers who hunt with spears and bows and gather fruits and berries
Pastoralists
• Other early Africans eventually learned to domesticate and raise a variety of animals for food
• Called herders, or pastoralists, these people kept goats, sheep, or cattle.
• They were nomads who drove their animals to find water and good pasture in the season
• The Masai of Tanzania are still pastoral herders who measure wealth by the size of their herds
Transition to a Settled Lifestyle
• Experts believe agriculture began in Africa around 6000 BC
• Grain grew well on the savannas and many Africans began to raise cattle in areas free from tsetse flies
• Other Africans learned to farm in the rainforest growing crops such as yams, that needed little sunlight
Agriculture
• Agriculture greatly changed the way Africans lived
• Growing their own food enable them to build permanent shelters in one location
• Settlements expanded because reliable food sources led to longer, healthier lives, and increased birthrates
Early Societies
• The societies south of the Sahara shared common elements such as the basic social unit, the family
• Besides parents and children the family often included grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins in an extended family
Animism
• African peoples developed belief systems that helped them understand and organize information about their world
• Nearly all of these local religions believed in one creator, or god
• Animism- religion in which spirits play an important role in regulating daily life
• Animists believe spirits are present in animals, plants, and other natural forces
Keeping a History
• Few African societies had written languages
• Instead, storytellers shared orally the history and literature of a culture
• These storytellers kept the history alive by passing it from one generation to the next
West African Iron Age
• West Africa’s earliest known culture was that of the Nok people
• They were the first African people known to smelt iron for use as tools for farming and weapons for hunting
Djenne-Djeno
• Djenne-Djeno- oldest known city in Africa south of the Sahara that existed between 25 BC and AD 1400
• At its height it included 50,000 people
Migration
Sec 2
What are some reasons why people migrate?
Migration
• Migration- permanent move from one country or region to another
Causes of Migration
• Environmental- natural disasters, climate change
• Economic- lack of jobs, opportunity for jobs
• Political- harsh rulers, persecution, war
• In earliest human life, environmental factors were likely the strongest
Push-Pull Factors
• Push-pull factors- when looking at migration certain factors can either push people out of an area or pull them into an area
• What are 3 examples from history of push-pull factors?
Effects of Migration
• Change in population density
• Cultural diffusion- blending of cultures, languages, ideas, and technologies
• Quality of life may be improved
• Conflict between between groups
How do anthropologists and archeologists trace ancient
migrations?
Tracing Migration Through Language
• One way experts can trace the patterns of movement of people over time is by studying the spread of languages
• If two languages have similar words for the same thing it is likely the two peoples were in close contact at one time
Bantu-speaking Peoples
• Bantu-speaking peoples- groups of African people who originally lived in the savannas south of the Sahara Desert, in the area that is now Nigeria
Bantu Map
Migration Begins
• At least 2000 years ago small groups of Bantu speakers began to move south and east
• The farming techniques they used depleted nutrition in the soil and forced them to move every few years
• Slash and burn- a patch of forest is cut down and burned and the ashes are used to fertilize the soil
Bantu Migration
• The Bantu followed the Congo River through the rainforest and farmed on its banks
• As they moved east into the savannas they adapted their techniques for herding sheep and goats to raising cattle
• As they migrated they learned to cultivate new crops such as bananas
Causes of Migration
• Anthropologists believe that as agriculture developed, they were able to produce more food and the population grew
• As the population grew they needed to plant more land
• Eventually they ran out of land and people began to move
Effects of Migration
• Some areas where the Bantu moved were inhabited by other people such as the BaMbuti and the San
• Territorial wars often broke and the Bantu drove off the others with their iron weapons
• Exchange of ideas with others
• Created unique cultures
Kingdom of Aksum
Sec 3
Aksum
• Aksum- powerful kingdom located in modern Ethiopia and Eritrea that reached its height in the 4th century AD
• Legend traces the origins of Aksum to King Solomon and the Queen of Sheeba
• The dynasty ended in 1975 with the death of Haile Selassie
International Trade
• Aksum’s location made it a hub for international trade
• They had access to the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean
• Traders from Egypt, Arabia, Persia, India, and the Roman Empire crowded the chief seaport of Adulis
• Merchants traded goods such as salt, rhino horns, tortoise shells, ivory, emeralds, and gold for cloth, glass, olive oil, wine, brass, iron, and copper
Height of Aksum
• Aksum reached its height between AD 325 and AD 360 when they were ruled by Ezana
• An international culture developed due to its location on the trade routes
Aksumite Religion
• Traditionally believed in one god called Mahrem and their king descended directly from him
• They were also animists, who worshipped spirits of nature and honored their dead ancestors
• Offered sacrifices to Mahrem and to Ares
Aksum Becomes Christian
• When Ezana took his throne he converted to Christianity and made it the official religion of the empire
• Ethiopia is still home to millions of Christians today
Aksum’s Innovations
• Established a written language
• First state south of the Sahara to use their own coins
• Terraces- steplike ridges constructed on mountain slopes that greatly increase the productivity of land
Terraces
Fall of Aksum
• Islamic invaders eventually began taking the kingdom apart and led to its decline
