African Civilizations: Migration, Aksum Kingdom & Diverse Cultures

1. African Civilizations, 1500 B.C.-A.D. 700 African cultures adapt to harsh environments, spread through major migrations, and establish powerful kingdoms.

2. African Civilizations, 1500 B.C.-A.D. 700 Diverse Societies in Africa SECTION 1 CASE STUDY: Migration SECTION 2 The Kingdom of Aksum SECTION 3

3. Section-1 Diverse Societies in Africa African peoples develop diverse societies as they adapt to varied environments.

4. Section-1 Diverse Societies in Africa A Land of Geographic Contrasts • Geography of Africa • • Large continent but coastline has few ports, harbors, or inlets • Challenging Environments • • Africa has many deserts, including huge Sahara • • The southern edge of the expanding Sahara is called the Sahel • • Rainforests found near central part of continent • Welcoming Lands • • Northern coast and southern tip of Africa have Mediterranean climates • • Savannas, or grasslands, cover almost half of Africa

5. Early Humans Adapt to Their Environments • Nomadic Lifestyle • • Earliest people are nomadic hunter-gatherers • • Herders drive animals to find water, graze pastures • Transition to a Settled Lifestyle • • Agriculture probably develops by 6000 B.C. • • As the Sahara dried up, farmers move to West Africa or Nile Valley • • Agriculture allows permanent settlement, governments to develop

6. Early Societies in Africa • Societies Organized by Family Groups • • Extended families made up of several generations • • Families with common ancestors form groups known as clans • Local Religions • • Early religions usually include elements of animism—belief in spirits • Keeping a History • • Few African societies have written languages • • History, literature, culture passed on by storytellers called griots • • Cultures in West Africa are advanced long before outsiders arrive

7. West African Iron Age • Learning About the Past • • Artifacts reveal how people lived in the past • • Evidence of sub-Saharan cultures producing iron around 500 B.C. • The Nok Culture • • Nok—West Africa’s earliest known culture—made iron tools, weapons • Djenné-Djeno • • From 600–200 B.C., cities begin to develop near rivers, oases • • Djenné-Djeno—Africa’s oldest known city (250 B.C.), discovered in 1977 • • Bustling trade center; linked West African towns, camel trade routes

8. Section-2 Migration CaseStudy: Bantu-Speaking Peoples Relocation of large numbers of Bantu-speaking people brings cultural diffusion and change to southern Africa.

9. Section-2 Migration CaseStudy: Bantu-Speaking Peoples People on the Move • Migration • • Migration—permanent move to new place; a pattern in human culture • Causes of Migration • • Push-pull factors—Conditions that push people out of an area or pull them in • Effects of Migration • • Brings diverse cultures into contact; changes life in the new land • TracingMigrationThroughLanguage • • One way to trace migration is to study how languages spread • • Africa has many complex language families

10. Massive Migrations • Bantu-speaking Peoples • • Bantu-speaking peoples—early Africans who spread culture and language • • Originally lived in savanna south of Sahara; now southeastern Nigeria • • The word Bantu means “the people” • Migration Begins • • Bantu speakers migrate south and east starting about 3000 B.C. • • Live by slash-and-burn farming, nomadic herding • • Share skills, learn new customs, adapt to environment Continued…

11. 2 Massive Migrations • Causes of Migration • • Bantu speakers move to find farmland, flee growing Sahara • • Need iron ore resources and hardwood forests for iron smelting • • Within 1,500 years they reach southern tip of Africa • Effects of the Migration • • Bantu speakers drive out some inhabitants; intermix with others • • Bantu migrations produce a great variety of cultures • • Language helps unify the continent

12. Section-3 The Kingdom of Aksum The kingdom of Aksum becomes an international trading power and adopts Christianity.

13. Section-3 The Kingdom of Aksum The Rise of the Kingdom of Aksum • Aksum’s Geography • • Aksum—kingdom replaces Kush in East Africa; blend of Africans, Arabs • • Located on Horn of Africa, modern day Ethiopia and Eritrea • • Trading kingdom linking Africa and Indian Ocean trade routes • The Origins of Aksum • • Land first mentioned in Greek guidebook in A.D. 100 • • Rulers take control of areas around Blue Nile and Red Sea • • Dynasty of Aksum rules until 1975; ends with death of Haile Selassie Continued…

14. The Rise of the Kingdom of Aksum {continued} • AksumControlsInternationalTrade • • Aksum is hub for caravan routes to Egypt and Meroë • • Adulis, chief port, has access to Mediterranean Sea, Indian Ocean • AStrongRulerExpandstheKingdom • • King Ezana—strong ruler of Aksum from A.D. 325 to 360 • • He conquers part of Arabian peninsula, now Yemen • • In 350 conquers Kushites and burns Meroë to ground

15. An International Culture Develops • Aksum Culture • • Blended cultural traditions of Arab peoples and Kushites • • Adulis population: Egyptian, Arabian, Greek, Roman, Persian, Indian • • Greek is international language; Aksumites trade gold to Rome • Aksumite Religion • • Believe in one god, Mahrem, and that king descended from him • • Are animists—worship spirits of nature and ancestors • • Exposed to Christianity by traders Continued…

16. An International Culture Develops {continued} • AksumBecomesChristian • • Young King Ezana educated by Christian man from Syria • • As ruler, Ezana declares Christianity as kingdom’s official religion • • Aksum, now part of Ethiopia, still home to millions of Christians • AksumiteInnovations • • Written language, minted coins, irrigation canals and dams • • Aksumites invent terrace farming due to hilly location • • Terraces—step like ridges constructed on mountain slopes

17. The Fall of Aksum • Islam • • Aksum kingdom lasts 800 years; witnesses rise of Islam religion • • Followers of prophet Muhammad conquer all of Arabia by 632 • IslamicInvaders • • Between A.D. 632 and 710, Islamic invaders leave Aksum alone • • In A.D. 710, they attack port city of Adulis, causing Aksum’s decline • AksumIsolated • • As Islam spreads, Aksum rulers move capital to northern Ethiopia • • Isolation, soil erosion, deforestation cause loss of remaining power

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