Chapter 3

1. Chapter 3 Early African Societies and the Bantu Migrations

2. I. Early Agricultural Society in Africa • Climatic Change and the Development of Agricultural Africa 1. Climatic Change a. 5000bce northern half of Africa experienced climatic change that effected social organization and agriculture. b. hotter & drier, many gathered around remaining bodies of water (ex. Lake Chad and Nile River) B. Egypt & Nubia: “Gifts of the Nile” • Agriculture transformed Nile River valley • Est. societies based highly on agriculture, very productive • Because of prosperity = “Gift of the Nile” • Flooded predictably 1. Early Agriculture in the Nile Valley a. Egypt and Nubia influenced by Mediterranean basin to north and Sub-Saharan to the south since the Nile links the two regions

3. Nile Valley 3000-2000bce And Nubia

4. I. Early Agricultural Society in Africa cont’d b. both relied heavily on agriculture esp. in the flood plains in late summer. c. Demographic pressure forced Egyptians to find a more intense and sophisticated form of agriculture. (they were outside the floodplains) 2. Political Organization a. created states b. recognized official authority c. maintain order C. The Unification of Egypt 3. Menes a. Ruler Menes unifies territories between the Nile delta and the river’s first cataract b. centralized state ruled by pharaoh (Egyptian king) c. Pharaoh’s claimed they were gods living on Earth=Theocracy ; owners & absolute rulers of all land.

5. Egyptian painting on tomb Of Agriculture Pharoah Menes Preparing to sacrifice An enemy

6. I. Early Agricultural Society in Africa cont’d d. a human sun overseeing affairs 2. The Archaic Period and the Old Kingdom a. great power during 1stmillenia (3100-2660) (2660-2160) b. massive pyramids c. Khufu largest pyramid d. ability to marshal Egyptian resources 3. Relations between Egypt and Nubia a. Interests in Nubia: political & commercial b. Wary of Nubian kingdoms threat to Upper Egypt c. desired products: gold, ivory, ebony, precious stones d. Nubian interests in Egypt: protect their independence, control trade down the Nile

7. Nubian Mercenary Nenu Serving in Egyptian army w/ Egyptian wife and two sons

8. I. Early Agricultural Society in Africa cont’d 4. The Early Kingdom of Kush a. Violence between Egypt and Nubia led to Nubian leaders organizing farther South in Upper Nubia. b. By 2500 bce they est. the kingdom of Kush c. Even though there were tensions both sought political diplomacies, alliances w/ each other and commercial relationships. d. Mercenaries prominent in Old Kingdom, married Egyptian women, assimilated to Egyptian life. D. Turmoil and Empire 1. Hyskos a. Old Kingdom declines, unsettling change b. Hyskos (“foreign rulers”) enter; horse riding nomads c. introduced horse drawn chariots

9. I. Early Agricultural Society in Africa cont’d d. Hyskos provoked strong reaction from Egyptian nobles whom revolted. e. Used their own weapons against them f. New Egyptian kingdom began called the New Kingdom 2. The New Kingdom a. Prosperous, productive, agricultural surplus, large population. b. army, bureaucracy, religious cults 3. Egyptian Imperialism a. Worked to extend authority beyond the Nile b. Seized regions they thought may threaten them c. dominated coastal regions of Mediterranean & N. Africa d. Local resistance drove Egyptians out of Nubia, SW Asia. Invasions from Assyrian.

11. II. The Formation of Complex Societies and Sophisticated Cultural Traditions • Specialized labor in agricultural societies • Social classes • Patriarchal societies • Egypt center of trade, linked lands in SW Asia, E Mediterranean, & Sub-Sahara Africa • Writing Systems A. Emergence of Cities and Stratified Societies 1. Cities of the Nile Valley: Egypt a. Major cities emerged and guided Egypt (ex. Memphis, Meroe, Tanis, Heliopolis) 2. Cities of the Nile Valley: Nubia a. power struggle between Kingdoms of Egypt and Nubia for this city. b. capital Napata c. agriculture required extensive preparation of soil d. at one point conquered Egypt e. used the title of Pharaoh f. warred with Assyrians

12. Egyptian painting of pyramid building 

13. II. The Formation of Complex Societies and Sophisticated Cultural Traditions cont’d 3. Social Classes a. wealth = social distinction b. peasants & slaves=hard labor c. Pharaoh=supreme ruler d. Military forces, bureaucracy of administrators, tax collectors 4. Patriarchal Society a. men authority in public and private affairs b. women=domestic work unless upper elite c. elite men=scribes, gov’t officials d. lower class men=agricultural laborers, potters, carpenters, craftsmen, fishermen

14. II. The Formation of Complex Societies and Sophisticated Cultural Traditions cont’d 5. Women’s Influence in Egypt and Nubia a. influence policy b. plots to manipulate affairs c. Nubia had many more women rulers than Egypt d. Nubian women ruled out right or jointly e. priestess B. Economic Specialization and Trade • Specialized labor and efficient transportation developed trade networks 1. Iron Metallurgy a. Large scale production of iron b. spread through Sub-Saharan Africa c. eventually became displaced by bronze metallurgy

15. II. The Formation of Complex Societies and Sophisticated Cultural Traditions cont’d 2. Transportation a. sailed beyond the Nile into the Mediterranean b. explored the waters of the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, & Western portion of the Arabian Sea. 3. Trade Networks a. specialized labor & efficient transportation encouraged the development of long distance trade. b. traded north and south, traded with Mesopotamia C. Early Writing in the Nile Valley 1. Hieroglyphic Writing a. Early Egyptian writing was pictographic (pictures) b. used for literature and religious text c. Hieratic Script simplified version of hieroglyphics d. Also included Demotic and Coptic scripts

16. Ancient Egyptian Ships

17. II. The Formation of Complex Societies and Sophisticated Cultural Traditions cont’d 2. Education a. Formal education & literature brought rewards C. The Development of Organized Religious Traditions 1. Amon & Re a. played prominent roles b. Amon-sun, fertility, creation, & reproductive forces c. Re- sun god 2. Aten & Monotheism a. Amon-Re threatened by a monotheistic god, Aten b. pharaoh Amenhotep believed in this one god 3. Mummification a. death not an end but a transition to new dimension of existence. b. believed only ruling elites would survive, but others merited posthumous honor. c. continued mummification and pyramids because of the belief in an afterlife.

18. II. The Formation of Complex Societies and Sophisticated Cultural Traditions cont’d 4. Cult of Osiris a. Legend has it: Osiris’ evil brother murdered him and scattered his parts throughout the land b. Wife Isis retrieves his parts and gives proper burial & restored Osiris to life c. Many associated Osiris with the Nile (flooding retreating flooding) d. those who followed the cult wished for eternal reward if they lived a high standard of life. 5. Nubian religious beliefs a. Apedemak-lion god, served as a war god b. Sebiume-creator god and divine guardian of human devotees. c. built pyramids d. recognized Egyptian Gods e. did not mummify their dead

19. Egyptian Painting of Osiris receiving a recently deceased and The weighing of the heart

20. III. Bantu Migrations and Early Agricultural Societies of Sub-Saharan Africa A. The Dynamics of Bantu Expansion 1. The Bantu a. Bantu from Eastern part of modern Nigeria b. Bantu means “persons” & “people” c. Settled along rivers, navigated in canoes and in forests d. clan based villages head by chiefs who conducted rituals and represented their communities to neighbors e. traded with hunting and gathering peoples in forests f. placed pressure on forest dwellers to move inland 2. Bantu Migrations a. eager to migrate to new territories b. some stayed in their original area while others moved developing new languages (over 500 languages)

21. Bantu Migrations Map 2000bce-500ce

22. III. Bantu Migrations and Early Agricultural Societies of Sub-Saharan Africa cont’d c. Bantu migrations were intermittent and incremental d. occupied most of Africa south of the equator e. population pressures drove migrations and new settlements 3. Iron & Migration a. produced iron tools & weapons, led to expansion and protection B. Early Agricultural Societies of Sub-Saharan Africa • Others migrated besides the Bantu’s 1. Spread of Agriculture a. extremely important in terms of the effects of migration in Sub-Saharan Africa b. were herders also c. cultivated yams, oil palms and sorghum 2. Religious Beliefs a. Bantu’s were monotheistic b. Sudanic peoples also recognized a single god who was the source of good and evil