Chapter 3 Early African Societies and the Bantu Migrations ©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 1 Development of African Agriculture Sahara desert originally highly fertile region Western Sudan region nomadic herders, ca. 9000 B.C.E. Domestication of cattle ca. 7500 B.C.E. Later, cultivation of sorghum, yams, increasingly diverse Widespread desiccation of the Sahara ca. 5000 B.C.E. ©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 2 The Gift of the Nile Gradual, predictable flooding Alluvial deposits support productive agricultural society “Gift of the Nile” ©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 3 Early Agriculture in Nile Valley 10,000 B.C.E. migrants from Red Sea hills (northern Ethiopia) Introduce collection of wild grains, language roots of Coptic 5000 B.C.E. Sudanic cultivators, herders migrate to Nile River valley Adaptation to seasonal flooding of Nile through construction of dikes, waterways Villages dot Nile by 4000 B.C.E. ©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 4 Impact on Political Organization As in Mesopotamia, a need for formal organization of public affairs Need to maintain order and organize community projects Egypt: simple, local irrigation projects Rural rather than heavily urban development Trade networks develop ©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 5 Unification of Egypt Legendary conqueror Menes, ca. 3100, unifies Egyptian kingdom Sometimes identified with Narmer Tradition: founder of Memphis, cultural and political center of ancient Egypt Instituted the rule of the pharaoh Claimed descent from the gods Absolute rulers, had slaves buried with them from 2600 B.C.E. Most powerful during Archaic Period (3100-2660 B.C.E.) and Old Kingdom (2660-2160 B.C.E.) ©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 6 The Pyramids Symbols of the pharaoh’s authority and divine status A testimony of the pharaohs’ ability to marshal Egypt’s resources Largest Khufu (Cheops), 2.3 M limestone blocks, average weight 2.5 tons Role: burial chambers for pharaohs ©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 7 Relations with Nubia Competition over Nile trade Military conflict between 3100 and 2600 B.C.E. Drove Nubians to the south Established kingdom of Kush, ca. 2500 B.C.E. Trade, cultural influences continue despite military conflict ©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 8 The New Kingdom Few pyramids, but major monumental architectural projects Engaged in empire-building to protect against foreign invasion After New Kingdom, local resistance drives Egypt out of Nubia Kingdom of Kush revives ca. 1100 B.C.E. Invasions of Kushites, Assyrians destroy Egypt mid-sixth century B.C.E. ©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 9 Egyptian Urban Culture Major cities along Nile River, especially at delta Nubian cities include Kerma, Napata, Meroë Memphis ca. 3100 B.C.E., Heliopolis ca. 2900 B.C.E. Located at cataracts of the Nile Well-defined social classes Pharaohs to slaves Archaeological discoveries in Nubia also support classbased society Patriarchal societies, notable exceptions: female pharaoh Hatshepsut (r. 1473-1458 B.C.E.) ©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 10 Economic Specialization Bronze metallurgy introduced late, with Hyksos invasion Development of iron early, ca. 900 B.C.E. Trade along Nile River More difficult in Nubia due to cataracts Sea trade in Mediterranean ©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 11 Hieroglyphs “Holy inscriptions” Writing appeared at least by 3200 B.C.E. Pictographic, supplemented with symbols representing sounds and ideas Survives on monuments, buildings, and sheets of papyrus Hieroglyphs for formal writing, hieratic script for everyday affairs used from 2600 B.C.E. to 600 C.E. Greek alphabet adopted – demotic and Coptic scripts Meroitic writing: flexible system borrowed from hieroglyphs, represents sounds rather than ideas ©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 12 Development of Organized Religious Traditions Principal gods Amon and Re Religious tumult under Amenhotep IV (Akhenaten) (r. 1353-1335 B.C.E.) Introduces sole worship of sun god Aten One of the world’s earliest expressions of monotheism Death of Akhenaten, traditional priests restore the cult of Amon-Re to privileged status ©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 13 Mummification and the Afterlife Inspiration of the cycles of the Nile Belief in the revival of the dead Cult of Osiris First: ruling classes only, later expanded to include lower classes Lord of the underworld Power to determine who deserved immortality Held out hope of eternal reward for those who lived moral lives Nubian worship of Apedemak and Sebiumeker ©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 14 Bantu Migrations, 3000-1000 B.C.E. Bantu: “people” Migration throughout sub-Saharan regions Over 500 variations of original Bantu language Population pressures 90 million speakers By 1000 B.C.E., occupied most of Africa south of the equator ©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 15 Bantu Migrations, 2000 B.C.E.-1000 C.E. ©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 16 Bantu Religions Evidence of early monotheism Deistic views as well Prayers to intercessors, e.g. ancestor spirits Great variations among populations ©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 17