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

Discussion Questions 1. Why did Nubia and Egypt need to

have different approaches for the use of the Nile?

The Unification of EgyptMenes Archaic Period &

The Old KingdomRelations 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

Discussion Questions 2. Why do you think tension existed

between Egypt and Nubia? 3. Why was it smart to have

intermarriage between the two. How effective do you think this was?

Turmoil and EmpireThe Hyskos New Kingdom Egyptian

ImperialismThe 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

Discussion Questions 4. How would Egyptian society been

different had the Hyskos never invaded? 5. Create a Venn Diagram between the

Old Kingdom and New Kingdom of Egypt?

The Formation of Complex Societies and Sophisticated Cultural Traditions

The Emergence of Cities and Stratified SocietiesCities of the Nile Valley:Egypt

Cities of theNile Valley:Nubia

Social Classes Patriarchal 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 TradeBronze &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 ValleyHieroglyphicWriting

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

Discussion Questions 6. Create a Venn Diagram of Egypt and

Nubia (include social, political, religious, and trade)

The Development of Organized Religious TraditionsAmon & 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

Discussion Questions 7. How would life have been different if

monotheism stuck in Egyptian life? How would daily lives be affected?

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 AfricaSpread 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

Discussion Question 8. Discuss the religions of Egypt, Nubia

and Bantu. How is the Bantu monotheistic belief different from Egypt and Nubia.