1 / 6

Early Civilizations in Africa

Early Civilizations in Africa. Adler Chapter 20 Extraordinary Panorama Variety in Geography Early Civilizations contact with Rome and North Africa. Geographic Considerations. North- Mediterranean- access to trade- coastal mountains- land for agriculture

leiter
Download Presentation

Early Civilizations in Africa

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Early Civilizations in Africa Adler Chapter 20 Extraordinary Panorama Variety in Geography Early Civilizations contact with Rome and North Africa

  2. Geographic Considerations • North- Mediterranean- access to trade- coastal mountains- land for agriculture • East- Rift Valley- some mountains- Indian Ocean • West- grasslands and some rainforest along the Niger river • Central - equatorial- Congo-only real rainforest • South- high plateau- temperate climate-savanna

  3. African Civilization- South of Egypt • Many ideas in Egypt may have come from south- agri and pyramids • Kush- similar to Mesopotamia- Khartoum was a major trading center 7th cen BCE Capitol Meroe • Rome received ivory, gold, ebony in addition to food • Herodotus - “People were tall and beautiful” • Axum took over 350CE- future Ethiopia-trade center (Queen of Sheba- converted and remained Christian)

  4. States of West Africa along the Niger River • Ghana- 5th cen CE- based on gold trade- middlemen- transport to Morocco- also had ivory, ostrich feathers and leather. • lived in splendor at capital • Mali- 600-1200 CE Atlantic to interior- converted to Islam- Mansa Musa(p 232) went to Mecca- depressed the gold market-(Gold, Salt and slaves- tax key to wealth) • area still Muslim- Arabic language unifying force

  5. South African CivilizationsZimbabwe on the Zambezi (River) • located on the grasslands between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers • 1871- German explorer Karl Mauch found the remains of a powerful and prosperous civilization • city (10,000) wall of cement and stone 38 feet high • found ornaments of gold, copper, porcelain from China • wealth source- tax on cattle and gold trade • German Mauch- did not give credit to Africans- prejudice • historians recognize and give credit to Africans.p 234

  6. General Comments on African Civilizations • Were varied like the geography • trade centers were important esp in east with India and No Africa with the Med region • Islam dominated in north- Ethiopia was isolated • Islam helped to unite N Africa- same language • Historians continue to learn more

More Related