Unit 4 HISTORY - STUDY NOTES
Test 3/on DAY 4 October 31, 2013
Teacher: Yasser Musa (1C + 1D)
NUBIA video (see notes at below) and
Innovation, Science and Technology in Early
African Civilizations.
1. Inland Niger Delta and the Middle Senegal Valley
2. Mathematics
3.Metallurgy
4. Astronomy
(Chapter 13 – pages 215 to 220)
Innovation, Science and Technology
in Early African Civilizations
Introduction
Archaeological evidence + Greek + Roman +
Chinese + North African writers say –
That the continent of Africa contained very complex
and organized societies
Series of empires, Kingdoms and City-states across
the lenght and breadth of the continent
The Inland Niger Delta
and the Middle Senegal Valley
In the Inland Niger Delta scientists have uncovered
evidence of a transformation from nomadism to
settled life as far back as 10,000 to 5,000 BC.
Development of Agriculture allowed settlement,
population increased, division of labor – It led to
forms of social control = religion, law and order and
political organization + surplus food led to trade
Susan McIntosh’s findings = permanent settlement
around 2000BC (dry episode) – affected hydrology
both Senegal and Niger Valleys people followed
drainage systems
Middle Senegal Valley – practiced a mixed
economy = herding, fishing, and some hunting
General examples of innovation, science and
technology from early AFRICA
1. FIRE = domestic use = 1,400,000 years ago
2. TETRACYCLINE = used over 14 centuries
ago
3. CULTIVATION OF CEREALS = different
locations 7000 years ago
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
CATTLE DOMESTICATION = near Kenya
15,000 years ago
GLIDER PLANE = 2300 years ago (from
drawings uncovered)
FLYING MACHINES = ancient Egyptians
experiment 4th century
STEEL MELTING = area of Tanzania 1500
to 2000 years ago
ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATORY = near
Kenya 300 BC
MATHEMATICS =simple tally numbers,
hieratic ciperization to complicated formulae
MATHEMATICS
Evidence: 8,000 year old bone with numbers
Found near an ancient fishing site called Ishango in
Congo region of Africa
(some believe it is more than 20,000 years old)
These numbers may not be purely random and
instead suggest some understanding of the principle
of multiplication and division by two. The bone may
therefore have been used as a counting tool for
simple mathematical procedures.
Other examples of the use of Mathematics in Ancient
Africa are - Architectural designs – found on
granaries of the Dogon and
Ancient Game
MANCALA
METALLURGY
Ancient Africans discovered various types of metals
including tin, silver, bronze, brass and iron/steel. In
1978 Peter Schmidt announced – that between 1500
– 2000 years ago who lived near Lake Victoria had
discovered carbon steel
ASTRONOMY
Also in 1978 a astronomic observatory was
uncovered on the edge of Lake Turkana in Kenya. It
was an African type stonehenge with huge pilars of
basalt. Dated 300 years before Christ. It is called
Namoratunga – represented an accurate and
complex calendar system
NUBIA VIDEO
(notes by Jaylen Young/ 1D)
Nubia is an ancient civilization in Africa.
Nubia is located in western Africa in
Southern Egypt and Northern Sudan. The
Nile River runs through it.
Meroe is an ancient city ruled by the
Nubians were they, early on, used Egyptian
customs but later replaced by their own.
There they developed a series of writing
called Meroitic. Near Meroe three royal
cemeteries were constructed. South
Cemetery features nine royal pyramids.
Four of the pyramids belonged to Kings and
five belonged to queens. One hundred and
ninety-five other tombs complete the
cemetery. Over thousands of years the
Sahara Desert started to move further down
which aided with the fall of the Nubian
civilization especially Meroe because the
desert became hotter, crops died out, the
water dried up and their animals began to
die as well.
The Sahara Desert is now a large portion
of Africa however as we now know, it did
not start out that way. Most of it was lush
with vegetation, and water making there an
ideal place to live.
Ancient Rock Gong Drums rock gongs
are large slabs of stone that when stroked
with another stone it makes a metallic
sound. It was used as drums for the
Nubians, the first rock gong was discovered
in 1892.
Rock art (cattle paintings) was the first
form of art, which usually depicted cattle,
was used by Nubians to tell about their
everyday life of herding cattle.
Camels were imported from Asia (Arabia),
tamed and herded when the Sahara desert
began eating away at the Nubian
communities and made it impossible to live
in. The camels aided them when they
became Nomadic.
Cattle
Dance
was
performed
at
ceremonies, it sacred to them. This dance
is done by having hat like object worn on
the head with horns coming out of the sides
and shells tied together on both shins.
Wrestling was a sport of theirs, it was
known as gladiating which back then was a
bloody sport but now they just do for fun
and not to hurt or kill the opponent.
some achivements of Ancient NUBIA =
Agriculture was prominent in the times
when they flourished; it was the basis of
their lives. Crops such as Cereal, barley
and millet was produced.
Iron was also developed in Meroe and
impacted their lives tremendously, now they
had better agricultural and military tools
(swords, hoes, axes, spears…etc.) that
help them to become more powerful and
advance.
Ancient Architecture for the Nubians were
very magnificent and beautiful, they built
sky-high pyramids, temples and housing for
the kings. On their creation carefully carved
art was applied on the inside and outside of
their buildings. This art would represent
their culture, beliefs and history.
Black Pharaohs like Piye ruled Nubia, Piye
believed that he was the rightful ruler of
Egypt and that the Egyptians were not
respecting him so he waged war on them,
he conquered every army in his way.
Ancient NUBIA ruled Egypt for over 100
years.