Ancient African Civilizations
- 1. Egypt The Pyramid of Giza in Egypt. ...
- 2. The Kingdom Of Kush Historical Meroe pyramids in the Sahara desert in Sudan. ...
- 3. Punt Relic showing Egyptian soldiers in the expedition to the Land of Punt at the Temple of Hatshepsut in Luxor, Egypt. ...
- 4. Carthage ...
- 5. Aksum ...
- 6. Mali Empire ...
- 7. Songhai Empire ...
- 8. Zimbabwe ...
What were the first three civilizations in Africa?
- Egypt
- Anglo-Egyptian Sudan (now Sudan)
- British Somaliland (now part of Somalia)
- British East Africa : Kenya Uganda Protectorate (now Uganda) Tanganyika (1919–1961, now part of Tanzania)
- Zanzibar (now part of Tanzania)
- Bechuanaland (now Botswana)
- Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe)
- Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia)
Did the first civilization start in Africa?
The first major civilization in Africa was Egypt, centered around the lush Nile River delta. Egyptian civilization truly began around 3150 BC when the ruler Menes unified the entire area into a kingdom.
What is the first known African Civilization?
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- Africa’s Civilizations: Paving The Path For The Growth Of Other Civilizations World Wide. ...
- First Humans. The earliest human-like fossil was found in East Africa and dates back to about 2.8 million years. ...
- The Benin Empire. ...
- Ancient Egypt. ...
- Empire of Mali. ...
- Empire of Songhai. ...
- The Garamantes. ...
- Kanem-Bornu Empire. ...
- Kingdom of Luba. ...
- Kingdom of Makuria. ...
What were the early African civilizations?
What were the major ancient civilizations of Africa? The civilizations usually include Egypt, Carthage, Axum, Numidia, and Nubia, but may also be extended to the prehistoric Land of Punt and others: the Empire of Ashanti, Kingdom of Kongo, Empire of Mali, Kingdom of Zimbabwe, Songhai Empire, the Garamantes the Empire of Ghana, Bono state and ...
What civilizations did the colonists of Africa never hear of?
What was the Sudan before the Egyptian conquest?
What was the capital of the Kush kingdom?
When was Terracotta first discovered?
What were the 3 ancient African civilizations?
To this day, in the west, students of the ancient world have often never heard of the ancient African civilizations of Kush, Nok, and Aksum, although all three were contemporaneous with the rise of Greco-Roman culture.
What is the oldest known civilization in Africa?
1. The Aksumite Empire. Also known as the Kingdom of Aksum (or Axum), this ancient society is the oldest of the African kingdoms on this list. This kingdom spread across what is today Ethiopia and Eritrea in an area where evidence of farming dates back 10,000 years.
What are the 4 early civilizations?
The four oldest civilizations are Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Indus valley, and China as they provided the basis for continuous cultural development in the same geographic location.
Are there ancient African civilizations?
Few African civilizations are as mysterious as Punt. Historical accounts of the kingdom date to around 2500 B.C., when it appears in Egyptian records as a “Land of the Gods” rich in ebony, gold, myrrh and exotic animals such as apes and leopards.
What was Africa called before colonization?
AlkebulanIn fact, this school argues that Africa was initially named Alkebulan and was widely referred to as Alkebulan before the name Africa was birthed. In Kemetic History of Afrika, Dr cheikh Anah Diop writes, “The ancient name of Africa was Alkebulan.
What are the 6 major early civilizations?
The 6 Earliest Human CivilizationsMesopotamia, 4000-3500 B.C. ... Ancient Egypt, 3100 B.C. ... Ancient India, 3300 B.C. ... Ancient China, 2000 B.C. ... Ancient Peru, 1200 B.C. ... Ancient Mesoamerica, 1200 B.C. ... 7 Little-Known Wonders of the Ancient World.
What are the 10 oldest civilization?
The Incan Civilization. Civilization Name: Incan civilization. ... The Aztec Civilization. Civilization Name: Aztec civilization. ... The Roman Civilization. Civilization Name: Roman civilization. ... The Persian Civilization. ... The Ancient Greek Civilization. ... The Chinese Civilization. ... The Maya Civilization. ... The Ancient Egyptian Civilization.More items...•
What are the 7 civilizations?
1 Ancient Egypt. ... 2 Ancient Greece. ... 3 Mesopotamia. ... 4 Babylon. ... 5 Ancient Rome. ... 6 Ancient China. ... 7 Ancient India.
What were the first 10 civilizations?
More videos on YouTubeAncient Egyptians (c. 3,150 BCE – 332 BCE) Era: c.3150 BCE – 332 BCE. ... Indus Valley Civilization. Era: c.3300 BCE – 1300 BCE. ... Norte Chico. Era: c.4000 BCE – 1800 BCE. ... Mesopotamia (c. 6,500 BCE – 539 BCE) ... Jiahu (c. 7,000 BCE – 5,700 BCE) ... 'Ain Ghazal (c. 7,200 BCE – 5,000 BCE)
What is the oldest civilization in the world?
MesopotamiaThe Sumerian civilization is the oldest civilization known to mankind. The term Sumer is today used to designate southern Mesopotamia. In 3000 BC, a flourishing urban civilization existed. The Sumerian civilization was predominantly agricultural and had community life.
How long did Africa rule the world?
In ancient times, the Oracle of Amon at Siwah was the most celebrated, and Heliopolis, Memphis, and Thebes, were representatives of the best of Egyptian civilization and culture.
What was the greatest empire in Africa?
The largest and most powerful empire was the Songhai Empire. It is believed to be the largest state in African history. The empire existed between 1000 CE and 1591 CE and came to an end as a result of the Moroccan musketry.
What is the oldest civilization in the world?
MesopotamiaThe Sumerian civilization is the oldest civilization known to mankind. The term Sumer is today used to designate southern Mesopotamia. In 3000 BC, a flourishing urban civilization existed. The Sumerian civilization was predominantly agricultural and had community life.
Which was the first civilization?
MesopotamiaCivilizations first appeared in Mesopotamia (what is now Iraq) and later in Egypt. Civilizations thrived in the Indus Valley by about 2500 BCE, in China by about 1500 BCE and in Central America (what is now Mexico) by about 1200 BCE. Civilizations ultimately developed on every continent except Antarctica.
Is Ethiopia older than Egypt?
Ethiopia is old, even older than Egypt, but its antiquity is somewhat different.
Was Kemet the first civilization?
Kemet was the most advanced ancient civilization, but not the oldest, though it remains part of the discussion.
What civilizations did the colonists of Africa never hear of?
To this day, in the west, students of the ancient world have often never heard of the ancient African civilizations of Kush, Nok, and Aksum, although all three were contemporaneous with the rise of Greco-Roman culture.
What was the Sudan before the Egyptian conquest?
Prior to the Egyptian conquests, the Sudan was home to a thriving agrarian civilization based around the city of Kerma, (2500-1500 BCE). Egypt had always had trouble with their southern neighbors, and they eventually took the opportunity to push south, conquering the region which stretches from Aswan in Southern Egypt, to Khartoum. When the Egyptian New Kingdom finally began to disintegrate in the 11th century BCE, the powerful Kush civilization formed in the chaos, breaking away from their Egyptian rulers.
What was the capital of the Kush kingdom?
The new Kush kingdom, based around the capital city of Napata, became a thriving and wealthy empire in its own right, bolstered by Nile Valley trade. In recent years digs at Napata have revealed a wealth of impressive palaces, tombs, and gigantic Egyptian-style statuary, part of a once vibrant metropolis.
When was Terracotta first discovered?
The vast majority of the terracotta figures that have been found in Nigeria are dated to between 500 BCE and 200 CE , which appears to have been the period of the Nok’s civilizational height. Whoever the Nok were, they seem to have been highly influential in West Africa at this time, developing metal-smelting techniques which gave them iron tools much earlier than their neighbors.
How did the Swahili civilization come about?
Swahili civilisation came about through the mixing of the original local people with foreigners with whom they traded, especially the Arabs. The cultures of many groups blended together to form a new language and culture, called ‘Swahili’ by the Arabs.
What is the Nubian civilization?
The black race pharaohs in Egyptian history were actually Nubian or Sudanese kings. The two civilisations lived side by side for a long time and share many similarities. Nubia had pyramids similar to ones in Egypt. There are 223 pyramids in Sudan, over half the number of those in Egypt. The Nubian civilisation was known as the Ta Seti kingdom and its kings ruled Egypt in 712-657 BC as the 25th dynasty. It is believed that the first Nubian king to rule Egypt was Sabacus. After Egypt regained independence from the Nubians, the Nubian civilisation continued for 1000 years in Sudan.
What was the Nubian kingdom?
The Nubian kingdom was advanced with a written language . Nubia culture existed in a harsh environment with little rain. The River Nile could not support large numbers of people as it did in Egypt. However, the region was rich in gold, ivory, and ebony. The Nubian people converted to Christianity in the year 540.
Why did the Nile River Valley and Mediterranean and Red Sea border keep foreigners away?
The Nile River was very important to Egyptian civilisation. The Nile provided a communication and trade route across a huge and harsh land.
Why did the Egyptians live close to the Nile?
Egyptians always lived close to the Nile as it was an abundant water source providing protection against the surrounding harsh desert environment. Egypt was split into two regions. These were the higher ground and narrower river valleys in the south and the flat flood plains in the north by the sea.
What did the flooding of the Nile do to the people?
Yearly flooding of the Nile nourished the dry surrounding farms. People had always built their homes in towns and cities along the banks of the Nile. The earliest inhabitants of this region were Stone-Age hunter-gatherers who found the area rich in wildlife.
What did the Greeks see in Egypt?
The ancient Greeks saw Egypt as a gift of the Nile. Egypt's existence was made possible by the river. The ancient Egyptians settled on the narrow strip of rich alluvial soil along both banks of the Nile. This strip provided good agricultural soil.
What two African civilizations emerged in the 600s?
Nubia and Aksum. Between 600 BCE and 600 CE, two more major African civilizations emerged: the Kingdom of Nubia and Aksum in the Northeastern part of the sub-Saharan region. Due to the relative isolation of sub-Saharan Africa in the ancient period, most of the region remained a forager society with only small villages.
What was the first Christian civilization in Africa?
By around 300 CE, the kingdom of Aksum replaced Nubia as the regional powerhouse in Eastern Africa. Aksum was a unique ancient African civilization because king Ezana adopted Christianity in the early 4th century and made it the state religion. As a result, Aksum became one of the world's earliest Christian civilizations.
What was the ancient kingdom of Nubia?
This ironsmith was part of the ancient African kingdom of Nubia, along the Lower Nile. Between 600 BCE and 600 CE, Nubia was one of the sub-Saharan African civilizations that exploited trade, irrigated agriculture, and regional connections to grow from chiefdoms to kingdoms. These civilizations built upon older ones, such as the Bantu, while in North Africa the city-state of Carthage reigned until the 2nd century BCE. But before them all was Egypt.
When did Egypt become a civilization?
Egypt became Africa's first great civilization around the third millennium BCE. Later, between 600 BCE and 600 CE, farther south along the Nile River the Kingdom of Nubia and later Aksum in Eastern Africa became regional powerhouses.
Which two kingdoms were the exceptions to the Near East?
But Nubia and Aksum adopted the agricultural techniques of the Near East (as did Egypt before them) and became the exceptions when they developed kingdoms and an urban society. Nubia was located on the Middle Nile, and at its height between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE had over 20,000 mostly urban inhabitants.
What did the Bantu people do?
The descendants of the Bantu migrants lived along rivers or organized agricultural societies with clan-based villages, they grew and harvested yams or kept goats and raised fowl, while others commonly traded with the hunter-gatherer peoples of the forests in tropical Central Africa. The Bantu migrations formed the foundation of sub-Saharan civilizations.
What was the name of the city that the Phoenicians settled in?
The chief city was Carthage , and it makes its historical debut around the 7th century BCE. Carthage was one of the richest cities in the ancient world.
What is the only original written script in Africa?
Besides influencing other superpowers in Africa, Europe, and Asia, this empire created Ge’ez, Africa’s only original written script, and had throngs of foreign visitors. One Persian writer hailed Axum as “one of the four greatest powers of the world.”. Still, little is known about this impressive African civilization.
How many smaller kingdoms have popped up in Africa?
Unknown to most people, hundreds of smaller kingdoms have popped up throughout Africa’s history, with some eventually growing into powerful empires. These vast nations united Africa, managed wealthy trade routes, and controlled a potluck of cultures.
Why did the Benin people use brass?
The Benin people also used brass in artwork, statues, and plaques depicting gory battle scenes. As for trading, Benin found wealth due to its location near the Niger River, which allowed merchants to trade with African kingdoms in the north.
What was the Axum Empire?
In present-day Ethiopia, the Axum Empire became one of the largest markets of northeastern Africa with its epic trading and naval strength. As traders from this country were going past the Nile River and into Alexandria, Axum dominated the coast of the Red Sea until the seventh century.
How did the Benin Empire end?
The Benin Empire came to an end when the British invaded to take Benin’s resources and burned the empire to the ground.
Why was Mali so successful?
Like Benin, Mali was successful in trade because of its location by the Niger River. However, it was plundered by invaders from Morocco in 1593. This weakened the empire, and Mali soon ceased to be an important political entity.
When did Benin become a kingdom?
A unique settlement in what is now present-day Nigeria, the kingdom of Benin began when the Edo people cut down trees in the West African rain forest. By the 1400s, the little settlement had developed into a mighty kingdom.
Where were the first hominids found?
The earliest hominids were found in the Great Rift Valley and in neighboring areas. From there, future humans spread throughout the world.
Why were the saharas located in the Sahara?
They were located in the Sahara at that time because it was not a desert in those times, but a fertile, well-hydrated area.
Where did Carthage reach?
Carthage reached from the Maghreb on the east, and to southern Spain and Sicily on the west and north.
When was Islam founded?
Islam was founded by Mohammad in the 600's AD.
What was the power of Carthage?
Carthage was a great North African power in the millennium before the coming of Christ. It was a trading empire, having been founded as one of Phoenicia's trading centers.
What were the first civilizations in Africa?
The mastery of farming gave rise to the first civilizations in Africa: Egypt (discussed in Chapter 2), Kush, and Axum. Much later, Islam became an important factor in the development of African empires.
What were the major events that influenced the early African civilizations?
• The continent’s immense size and distinct geographical and climatic zones influenced where civilizations developed and how they survived. • The introduction of Christianity and Islam affected the way civilizations developed and interacted. • The development of trade led to the exchange of goods and cultural ideas.
What was the trade between Egypt and Nubia?
KushBy 2000 B. C., a busy trade had arisen between Egypt and the area to the south known as Nubia. Egyptian merchants traveled to Nubia to obtain ivory, ebony, frankincense (a fragrant tree resin), and leopard skins. Although Nubia was subject to Egyptian control for many centuries, it freed itself around 1000 B. C. and became the independent state of Kush. In 750 B. C., Kush conquered Egypt. In 663 B. C., however, the Kushites,who were still using bronze and stone weapons, were overwhelmed by the Assyrians, who were armed with iron spears and swords. The Kushites, driven out of Egypt, returned to their original lands in the upper Nile valley. The economy of Kush was based at first on farm- ing. Kush soon emerged, however, as one of the major trading states in the region, with its center at the city of Meroë (MEHR•oh•EE). Meroë was well located at the point where a newly opened land route across the desert to the north crossed the Nile. It was also blessed with a large sup- ply of iron ore. Having learned iron ore smelting from the Assyrians, the Kushites made iron weapons and tools. For the next several hundred years, Kush was a major trading empire with links to other states throughout the region. Kush provided iron prod- ucts and goods from central and eastern Africa to the Roman Empire, as well as to Arabia and India. Other major exports were ivory, gold, ebony, and slaves. In return, the Kushites received luxury goods, including jewelry and silver lamps from India and Arabia. Not much is known about Kushite society. It seems likely that it was mostly urban. At first, state authorities probably controlled foreign trade. The presence of extensive luxury goods in the numerous private tombs in the area indicates that at one time material prosperity was relatively widespread. This suggests that at some point a large merchant class prospered from trade activities.
What was the rise of Axum?
The Rise of AxumKush flour- ished from about 250 B. C.to about A. D. 150, but declined because of the rise of a new power in the region. This new power, known as Axum, was located in the highlands of what is now Ethiopia. Axum was founded as a colony by Arabs from the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. Eventually, Axum emerged as an independ- ent state that combined Arab and African cultures. Axum owed much of its prosperity to its location along the Red Sea, on the trade route between India and the Mediterranean. Axum exported ivory, frankincense, myrrh (another aromatic tree resin), and slaves. It imported textiles, metal goods, wine, and olive oil. For a time, Axum competed with the neighboring state of Kush for control of the ivory trade. Probably as a result of this competition for ivory, in the fourth century A. D.,King Ezana, the Axumite ruler, launched an invasion of Kush and conquered it. Perhaps the most distinctive feature of Axumite civilization was its religion. About A. D. 330, King Ezana converted to Christianity, which was first brought to Axum by shipwrecked Syrians. The king made Christianity the official religion of Axum.
What are the different climate zones in Africa?
Africa includes four distinct climate zones, which help to explain the different lifestyles of the peoples of Africa. A mild climate zone stretches across the northern coast and southern tip of Africa. Moderate rainfall and warm temperatures result in fertile land that produces abundant crops. This crop production can support large populations. Deserts form another climate zone. The Sahara in the north and the Kalahariin the south are the two largest deserts. Altogether, deserts cover about 40 percent of Africa. Athird climate zone is the rain forest that stretches along the equator and makes up about 10 percent of the continent. Heavy rains and warm temperatures produce dense forests where little farming and little travel are possible. The rain forest is also home to disease-carrying insects, especially the tsetse (SET• see) fly, which infects both animals and humans with sleeping sickness. As a result, people who live in the rain forest do not raise cattle or use animals, hoping in this way to avoid the tsetse fly. A final climate zone consists of the savannas,
What are the major regions of Africa?
Africa south of the Sahara is divided into a num- ber of major regions. In the west is the so-called hump of Africa, which juts like a massive shoulder into the Atlantic Ocean. Here the Sahara gradually gives way to grasslands in the interior and then to tropical jungles along the coast. Far to the east is a very different terrain of snow- capped mountains, upland plateaus, and lakes. A distinctive feature is the Great Rift Valley,where mountains loom over deep canyons. Much of this region is grassland populated by wild animals. Fur- ther to the south lies the Congo basin, with its dense vegetation watered by the mighty Congo River. The tropical rain forests of this area then fade gradually into the hills, plateaus(relatively high, flat land areas), and deserts of the south. Describing Describe the distinct geo- graphical zones in Africa.
Which continent is the largest?
After Asia, Africa is the largest of the continents. It stretches nearly five thou- sand miles (around eight thousand km) and is almost completely surrounded by two oceans and two seas. As diverse as it is vast, Africa includes several distinct geographical zones. The northern fringe, on the coast washed by the Mediterranean Sea,is mountainous. South of the mountains lies the largest desert on Earth, the Sahara.
What civilizations did the colonists of Africa never hear of?
To this day, in the west, students of the ancient world have often never heard of the ancient African civilizations of Kush, Nok, and Aksum, although all three were contemporaneous with the rise of Greco-Roman culture.
What was the Sudan before the Egyptian conquest?
Prior to the Egyptian conquests, the Sudan was home to a thriving agrarian civilization based around the city of Kerma, (2500-1500 BCE). Egypt had always had trouble with their southern neighbors, and they eventually took the opportunity to push south, conquering the region which stretches from Aswan in Southern Egypt, to Khartoum. When the Egyptian New Kingdom finally began to disintegrate in the 11th century BCE, the powerful Kush civilization formed in the chaos, breaking away from their Egyptian rulers.
What was the capital of the Kush kingdom?
The new Kush kingdom, based around the capital city of Napata, became a thriving and wealthy empire in its own right, bolstered by Nile Valley trade. In recent years digs at Napata have revealed a wealth of impressive palaces, tombs, and gigantic Egyptian-style statuary, part of a once vibrant metropolis.
When was Terracotta first discovered?
The vast majority of the terracotta figures that have been found in Nigeria are dated to between 500 BCE and 200 CE , which appears to have been the period of the Nok’s civilizational height. Whoever the Nok were, they seem to have been highly influential in West Africa at this time, developing metal-smelting techniques which gave them iron tools much earlier than their neighbors.
