Non Egyptian Ancient African Civilizations

World History

Libertyville High School

Non-Egyptian East Africa: Nubia

• Area between First through Fifth cataracts of Nile

• Conquered by Egypt around 2000 BC– Served as major trading center

between Egypt, African societies

• After Egyptian New Kingdom failed, Nubians regained independence– Saw selves as TRUE Egyptians– Adopted Egyptian titles, customs– Invaded, ruled Egypt as

pharaohs– Defeated by Assyrians

Sub-Saharan (Central and Southern) Africa to 600 BC

• Political organization: none (family groups)

• Hunter-gatherers• Technological

development = stone, bone tech

• Religion– Animism: spirits of natural

world, animals, geographic locations

Why Didn’t Complex Society Develop in Sub Saharan Africa?

• Persistence of hunter-gatherer bands– Abundance of game– Lack of external (human) threats to

lifestyle = stayed the same• Lack of other food acquisition options

– Lack of high yield crops = low incentive to farm

– Lack of domesticable animals = no incentive to herd

– Lack of irrigable waterways = no way to practice irrigation

• Geographic considerations– Lack of natural harbors = no trade or

contact with other civs– Geographic barriers (Sahara) assured

isolation

Western Africa and the Sahara• Evidence of human

settlers in W Africa from 12000 BC

• Ca. 5000 BC, herders, dry farming communities

• Ca 3000 BC, Sahara savannah began turning into a desert– Farmers, herders, migrated

towards coasts– Desertification isolated W

Africa coastal peoples

West African Societies

• Urban Development– Earliest stone walled

towns developed around 2000 BC

– Towns emerged ca. 600-200 BC in Sahel (S of Sahara)

– All towns in Sahel grew up around oases or rivers

Western Africa and the Sahara• Around 400 BC, contact re-

established with North Africa & trade resumed– Traded gold from SW for salt,

iron goods from N– Diffusion of iron production

gave W Africans big advantage over neighbors• ability to expand farming• Made better weapons

– Formed city-states and empires in the AD period

– Bantu later expanded south

West African Societies

• Bantu Migrations– Bantu = N-Central African

language group– Migrated into equatorial rain

forests & African Highlands– Imposed language, spread

iron smelting & high yield agriculture (a.k.a. cultural diffusion!)

– Founded Great Zimbabwe Kingdom around 800 AD