I. Development of Early African Civilization A. The geography of Africa is diverse (varied). This makes the cultures of Africa very diverse.

I. Development of Early African Civilization A. The geography of Africa is diverse (varied). This makes the cultures of Africa very diverse.

1. The geography of Africa consists of mountains, grasslands, rain forests, savannas, deserts, and areas that are rich with natural resources. Savanna grassland with widely spaced trees.

B. East African civilizations 1. Nubia lay to the South of ancient Egypt. After Egypt lost control of it, Nubia became known as the trading kingdom of Kush. The Kushite capital was Meroë. Kush flourished from 250 B.C. to 150 A.D. (How many years was that?)

a) Trading Empire - The Kushites benefited from trade with the Romans, Arabia, and India. Meroë was rich with iron ore resources.

2. Axum - Located in what is Ethiopia today, Axum was founded by Arabs and combined Arab and African cultures.

a) Christianity was brought to Axum and became the official religion of the country in 330 A.D. It remains the dominant belief system in Ethiopia today.

II. West African Trading Kingdoms A. Ghana-Was the first trading state in West Africa. It emerged around 500 A.D. 1. Profited from the Trans - Saharan trade. Trans- is a prefix meaning across (What does Trans-Saharan mean?)

2. Ghana had an abundance of gold and iron ore that was traded for salt. Salt was an important item of trade. It is a necessary nutrient, and used to preserve food.

3. Trade across the desert was carried by the Berbers: nomads whose camel caravans were fleets in the desert.

a) The caravans with as many as 100 camels moved at 3 miles per hour. It took many days to cross the desert.

B. Mali - By the 13 th century, Mali took over as the dominant trading state in Western Africa.

1. Mali built its wealth around the gold and salt trade along the Niger River, thus, allowing for people to use the fertile land. The main city was Timbuktu. Mosque in Timbuktu today

2. The richest and most powerful leader of Mali was Mansa Musa, who ruled from 1312-1337. A devout Muslim, he made a pilgrimage to Mecca in Arabia. The religion of Muslims is called Islam. A pilgrimage is a journey for religious reasons.

1. Upon his return to Mali, he established Timbuktu as an Islamic cultural center.

C. Songhai - From the 15 th -16 th centuries, Songhai dominated the West African trade. By 1600, the dominance of West Africa significantly diminished.

III. East Africa A. Bantu Migration - In the first millennium B.C., farming people who spoke Bantu languages began to move from the Niger region into East Africa.

1. Slash and burn farming - The Bantu farmed using slash and burn techniques. They cleared the fields and planted their crops. This destroyed the fertility of the soil.

a) Subsistence agriculture - Making enough for personal use not for a profit.

b) Spread of ironworking Through migration, the Bantu spread ironworking through eastern and southern Africa. Early uses for iron included razors, needles, and knives. Eventually smelting allowed axes and hoes to be developed.

c) On the eastern part of the continent, descendents of a Bantu group established Great Zimbabwe that would dominate the East African monsoon trade.

B. Mogadishu was an important city on the East African monsoon trade. Ibn Battuta, who was an Arabic Islamic traveler, recorded his impressions of East Africa.

1. Swahili culture In eastern Africa, Swahili culture developed. The Swahili language is a mix of Arabic and Bantu. (What is this an example of? What brought Arabic culture to Africa?)

IV. Religion in Africa A. In Northern Africa, Islam is the dominant belief system. B. In sub-saharan Africa, many people practice Animism. Animists believe in spirits in nature. Christianity is winning many converts in sub-saharan Africa.

V. Culture in Africa A. Kings were not as distant from people as in other cultures. B. Most people lived in villages. Shared home with extended family (parents, children, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins). C. Lineage groups are larger units linking many families. D. Women were/are subordinate to men. E. Many societies are matrilineal. In matrilineal societies, inheritance and lineage pass through the mother. In patrilineal societies, they pass through the father.

VI. Slavery in Africa A. Slavery was practiced in Africa since ancient times as in Europe (Rome) and Asia. B. Berbers in North Africa captured sub-saharan Africans as slave and sold them in the Mediterranean region. C. Slaves were captured in war, debtors, or criminals. D. Most slaves worked on farmlands. Some worked in wealthy households and were close to their owners.