Early African Civilizations 2000 B.C.E to
C.E. 1500
Ancient Africa
• Africa – Second largest continent after Asia. Five thousand miles long, surrounded
by oceans (Atlantic/Indian) and seas (Mediterranean/Red)
• Geographic factors that affected the development of African civilizations: Zones:
– North: mountainous, on the Mediterranean Sea across from Southern Europe.
– North Central: largest desert on earth, the Sahara.
– West Central: “hump of Africa” Grasslands in the interior, tropical jungles
along the coast.
– East Central: snow-capped mountains, upland plateaus, lakes. The Great Rift
Valley with mountains over canyons, and grasslands.
– South: Congo basin, dense vegetation, Congo River, tropical rain forests then
hills, plateaus and deserts.
• Much of sub-Saharan Africa is plateau with river basins and valleys
on it.
• Sahara desert covers one fourth of Africa.
• Below Sahara is the Sahel region with little rainfall and harsh
conditions.
• South of Sahel are vast savannahs – dry grasslands with few trees.
• Central and western Africa have tropical rainforests with much rain.
• Farther south are more savannahs, then another desert, the Kalahari
and the Namib – barren and desolate.
• Climate zones:
• 1. Mild climate zone – northern coast and southern tip of Africa.
• Moderate rainfall
• Warm temperatures
• Fertile soil
• 2. Desert Zone –
– Sahara in the north and Kalahari in the south
– Namib desert
– 40% of Africa
3. Rain forests – along the equator
10% of continent
Heavy rains
Warm temperatures
Dense forests
Home to disease carrying insects
• 4. Savannahs – broad grasslands
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Cover 40% of Africa
Small trees and bushes
Stretch across Africa north and south of rain forest.
Adequate but unreliable rainfall
• First civilizations in Africa – Egypt, Kush and Axum.
• Kush
– By 2000 B.C.E. a busy trade center in Nubia (Kush)
– Exported gold, ivory, ebony, frankincense, leopard skins to Egypt.
– Egypt controlled Nubia.
– C. 1000 B.C.E. Nubia became independent kingdom of Kush.
– 750 B.C.E. Kush conquered Egypt and ruled for 50 years.
– C.663 B.C.E. Bronze and stone wielding Kushites were conquered
by iron-speared Assyrians.
– Egyptians invade Kushite capital city Napata 80 years later.
– Kush reorganizes – new period of growth and culture.
– New capital city of Meroe – also early ironworking city.
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Ancient pyramids of Kush in South Sudan
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Ancient City of Naga
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Ancient Kushite city of Naga
• Fertile soil leads to agricultural development
• Meroean people built pyramids, temples, crafted pottery and metal
ornaments.
• Developed written form of language.
• On caravan route between Red Sea and the Nile River – brings
cultural influences and goods from foreign lands.
• Kush becomes major trading empire. Exports iron goods.
• Kush reaches height of civilization between 250 B.C.E. and C.E. 150.
• Mostly urban (city) society.
• Presence of luxury goods in tombs indicates widespread prosperity
and a large merchant class.
• Kush declines after C.E. 150 from decreasing
• land fertility and invasion by Axum civilization.
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Scenes from Sudan
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Home of Ancient Kush
• Axum – founded as an Arab colony it lay south of Kush in the Ethiopian Highlands.
– On trade route from Red Sea into Egypt and the African interior.
– Develop trade in ivory, gold, rhinoceros horns, incense, decorative obsidian
stone.
– Imported glass, metal ornaments, pottery, wine and olive oil.
– Minted its own coins.
• C. 330 C.E. Christianity becomes the official state religion.
• C.E. 300 Aksum a military power.
• C.E. 350 King Ezana conquers Kush and sets up thriving kingdom.
• Collected tribute from other kingdoms and taxes for imports at port of Adulis.
• He converted to Christianity and made it the state religion.
• Axum declines due to erosion and lack of fertile land, also trade competition from
Persians.
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West African Kingdoms
Ghana, Mali, Songhai
Wealth depended on control of trade routes across Sahara desert.
Southern edge of Sahara – the Sahel – gold mines.
Gold traded for salt from desert salt mines.
Where gold-for-salt trade happened, cities grew up.
Gold produced here until C.E.1500. Then, exchanged ivory and slaves
for jewels, copper, textiles.
• Monarchs ruled kingdoms. Below the royal family were government
officials.
• Below officials came merchants, then farmers, fisher and cattle
breeders. Slaves were the bottom of the social scale.
• Kingdom of Ghana – first great trading state in West Africa
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Emerged c. 300 C.E., established by Soninke people.
Located in upper Niger River valley – grassland.
Used iron farming tools.
Agricultural economy of separate villages under local rulers.
Together they formed the Kingdom of Ghana.
Ghanian kings were powerful, wealthy, had a well-trained army, and governed
without laws.
Ghana exported their gold, iron, ivory, ostrich feathers, hides and slaves.
They imported salt, textiles, horses.
Traded across the Sahara desert via Berbers on camel caravans.
Camels called “fleets of the desert”.
• Ghanaian kings acted as war leaders and negotiated trade with
foreigners.
• Large armies, conquered territory.
• Reached peak c. 1050 C.E.
• Most powerful king, Tunka Manin – C.E. 1067.
• He commanded an army of 200,000 – used bows, arrows, iron
spears.
• C.E. 100’s began to decline.
• C.E. 1076 Berbers invaded and destroyed city of Kumi Saleh.
• Soninke lose control of salt trade to neighboring tribes.
• C.E. 1235, Malinke overthrew Ghana and establish empire of Mali.
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Mali – began in area of Ghana and expanded north and west.
Reached peak under King Mansa Musa - early 1300’s.
Mansa Musa supported education, the arts, public buildings.
City of Timbuktu – learning center, large university attracte dscholars
from Egypt and Arabia.
• Mansa Musa made a pilgimage to Mecca with 80,000 followers.