Early African Societies and Bantu MigrationsCh. 3

Early Agricultural Society in Africa

Climatic change and the Development of Agriculture in Africa

Early SudanicAgriculture

Climatic Change The Nile River Valley

• Between the periodsOf 7500-6500 bce SudanicAgriculture became veryDiverse• Allowed for organizationOf small scale states• 5000bce formed smallMonarchies• Religious beliefs that Reflected agriculturalsociety

• After 5000bceProfound climate change• Influencing social Organization and agriculture in the region• Hotter & drier• Desiccation• Cultivators/HerdersMove to remaining bodiesOf water (Lake Chad/Nile)

• World’s longestRiver• Flooded and Receded• Creating richFertile soil

Egypt and Nubia: “Gifts of the Nile”

Early Agriculture in the Nile Valley Political Organization

• Nile links the Mediterranean basin In the North & sub-Saharan Africa inThe South• Egypt & Nubia influenced by the 2• Egypt & Nubia relied on agriculture• Egypt: cultivate late summer, harvestIn winter & early spring• Nubia: relied on prepared fields and Irrigation• Egypt: becomes more intense inAgriculture w/ prepared lands, dikes,basins

• Formal organization• Maintain order• Organize communityProjects• Power came from divineAuthority aka theocracy

The Unification of Egypt

Menes Archaic Period & The Old Kingdom

Relations between Egypt & Nubia

The Early KingdomOf Kush

• United UpperAnd LowerEgypt• Memphis wasThe capital forThe unified Egypt(cultural & politicalCenter)• Centralized stateRule with a PharaohAka Egyptian king(gods living on Earth)• Owner/absoluteRulers of the land

• Pharaoh’s had Great power• Massive pyramids• Ability to marshalResources• Khufu’s pyramid isThe largest• 80000 laborers

• Strong interests inEach other• Political & commercial• Egypt:Felt threatened By Nubian kingdoms& wanted products (gold,Ivory, ebony, & preciousStones)• Nubia: protect Independence fromEgypt, control trade downThe Nile

• Frequent violenceDuring the Old Kingdom• Egypt dominatedLower Nubia (3100-2600bce)• Egyptian presenceLed to political Organization in UpperNubia• Est. Kingdom of Kush(2500bce)• Though tense w/EgyptAlliances and diplomacyExisted• Intermarriage

Turmoil and Empire

The Hyskos New KingdomEgyptian Imperialism

The Revived Kingdom of Kush

• After Old Kingdom declined• Hyskos (Horse riding nomads)invadedEgypt • Introduce the Horse drawn chariot• Use of bronze forWeapons and bows• Upper Egypt Organized revoltsUsing Hyskos weaponry• Drove Hyskos outAnd founded the New Kingdom

• Prosperous & Productive• AgriculturalSurpluses• Army &Bureaucracy• Divided Responsibilities(court, treasury,Religious cults)

• Wanted to extendEgyptian authority• Seized threateningRegions• Rulers of the NewKingdom dominated areas for protection• Power over: E.Mediterranean basin,SW Asia as well asNile river valley• Egypt driven outFrom: Nubia & SW Asia

• Egypt retreats fromNubia• Est. a new kingdomOf Kush and dominate Egypt for a century• Egypt invaded fromBoth sides by KushitesAnd Assyrian army

The Formation of Complex Societies and Sophisticated Cultural Traditions

The Emergence of Cities and Stratified Societies

Cities of the Nile Valley:Egypt

Cities of theNile Valley:Nubia

Social ClassesPatriarchal SocietyAnd Women’s Influence in Egypt& Nubia

• Major citiesEmerge and Guided affairs• Thebes playedA political centerFor Egypt• Heliopolis-cityOf the sun &Cultural center

• Prominent citiesInclude: Kerma,Napata and Meroe.• Political and Economically flourishing

• Peasants &Slaves: hard labor• Pharaoh: supremeRuler• Central gov’t: Military force, Bureaucratic Administrators & taxCollectorsNubia: Gov’t officials,Priests, craftsmen,Merchant, laborersAnd slaves

• Patriarchal (publicAnd private affairs)• Upper elite womanLooked over domesticServants• Common women didDomestic work• Elite men: gov’t Officials, scribes• Lower class men:Agricultural laborers,Potters, craftsmen• Men & Women can ownProperty, slaves and passWealth• Women influenced policy,Manipulation• Nubia had female rulers

Economic Specialization and Trade

Bronze &Iron Metallurgy

Transportation TradeNetworks

Maritime Trade:Egypt & Punt

• Slower to Adopt metal tools• Appeared afterThe Hyskos• Monitored suppliesOf bronze• Nubia produced Little bronze• Instead of Bronze theUse of Iron emerged.• Spread through mostOf Sub-Saharan Africa

The Nile• Sailed beyond theMediterranean• Used wheeled vehicles• Donkey caravan• Traveled up and down

• Labor &TransportationEncouraged Long distanceTrade• Areas of trade:Nubia, Mesopotamia,Aswan, Elephantine• Goods traded:Ebony, ivory, gemstones,Gold etc.

• Traded throughThe Red Sea & Gulf of Aden w/Punt• Asserted the Importance of Specialized labor& transportationefficiency

Early Writing in the Nile Valley

HieroglyphicWriting

Education Meroitic Writing

• Pictographs• Influence byMesopotamia• “holy inscription”• AdministrativeAnd commercialRecords• Literary & religiousText• Formal writing & Monument inscription• Hieratic script- writingFor everyday affairs• Other forms of writingUsed: demotic & Coptic

• Formal education broughtRewards• Nubians spoke bothLanguage• Egypt influenced bothCultures• Traveled into NubiaAnd built templesOf Egyptian Gods

• Nubian inscriptions • Borrowed from Egyptian hieroglyphics• Sounds rather thanideas

The Development of Organized Religious Traditions

Amon & Re andAten & Monotheism

Mummification Cult of Osiris NubianReligiousBeliefs

• Deities played prominentRoles in the world• Amon-sun, creation, Fertility and reproductiveForces (from Thebes)• Re-sun god (from Heliopolis)• Priest combined Amon-Re• Aten god adopted as theSole god by Pharaoh AmenhotepIV • First early expression ofMonotheism• After Pharaoh died thereWas a counterattack on thedeity

• Not end butTransition• Only ruling elitesSurvive the grave• Mummified onlyPharaohs andFamily• Later availableTo other normalmortals

• Brother murderedHim scattered Body throughoutThe land• Loyal wife retrievedHis body providedA proper burial• Impressed godsRestored Osiris backTo life• God of underworld• Associated with theNile• Who deserved Immortality who didn’t

• Apedemak-Lion god, warGod• Sebiume-Creator god &Guardian of humanDevotees.• Egyptian religiousCults prominent• Also built pyramids• Amon-preeminentdeity

Bantu Migrations and Early Agricultural Societies Of Sub-Saharan African

The Dynamics of Bantu Migrations

The Bantu Bantu Migrations Iron & Migration

• Sub-Saharan Africa• “persons”• Settled along rivers• Open areas of the forests• Navigated in canoes• Clan based villages,Headed by chiefs• Traded regularly w/Hunting and gathering peoples

• Spread South to West African forest• South toward Congo• Some settled others Migrated creating newLanguages• Not mass movements• Intermittent• Occupied most of AfricaSouth of the Equator• Population pressures droveMigrations• Canoes & agricultural aidedIn migration

• Helped spread ironThrough Sub-SaharanAfrica• Aided in agricultureAnd weaponry

Early Agricultural Societies of Sub-Saharan Africa

Spread of Agriculture Religious Beliefs

• Agricultural societies in Sub-SaharanAfrica • Built distinctive societies and Cultural traditions• Age sets/age groups-responsibilitiesBased on age

• Monotheistic• single, impersonal divine forceThat could take form as spirits• Responsible for rewards and Punishments• Nyamba-deity-created the world And principles that govern it, steppedBack and allowed the world to proceed• Adapted beliefs from others