Early Civilizations in Africa
Adler Chapter 20
Extraordinary Panorama
Variety in Geography
Early Civilizations contact with
Rome and North Africa
Geographic Considerations
North- Mediterranean- access to tradecoastal mountains- land for agriculture
 East- Rift Valley- some mountainsIndian Ocean
 West- grasslands and some rainforest
along the Niger river
 Central - equatorial- Congo-only real
rainforest
 South- high plateau- temperate climate
African Civilization- South of Egypt
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Many ideas in Egypt may have come from
south- agri and pyramids
Kush- similar to Mesopotamia- Khartoum was
a major trading center 7th cen BCE Capitol
Meroe
» Rome received ivory, gold, ebony in addition to food
» Herodotus - “People were tall and beautiful”
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Axum took over 350CE- future Ethiopia-trade
center (Queen of Sheba- converted and remained Christian)
States of West Africa along the
Niger River
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Ghana- 5th cen CE- based on gold trademiddlemen- transport to Morocco- also had
ivory, ostrich feathers and leather.
» lived in splendor at capital
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Mali- 600-1200 CE Atlantic to interiorconverted to Islam- Mansa Musa(p 232) went to Meccadepressed the gold market-(Gold, Salt and slaves- tax key to wealth)
» area still Muslim- Arabic language unifying force
South African Civilizations
Zimbabwe on the Zambezi
(River)
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located on the grasslands between the Zambezi and
Limpopo Rivers
1871- German explorer Karl Mauch found the
remains of a powerful and prosperous civilization
city (10,000) wall of cement and stone 38 feet high
found ornaments of gold, copper, porcelain from
China
wealth source- tax on cattle and gold trade
German Mauch- did not give credit to Africans- prejudice
historians recognize and give credit to Africans.p 234
General Comments on African
Civilizations
Were varied like the geography
 trade centers were important esp in east
with India and No Africa with the Med
region
 Islam dominated in north- Ethiopia was
isolated
 Islam helped to unite N Africa- same
language
 Historians continue to learn more
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