Tuesday: September 13th, 2013

Intro to Africa

Overview Review-Important questions or concepts

covered in Ancient Studies Brief intro to Africa and its physiographic

features Goal: get students acquainted with

Africa’s key geographic features to make sense of its past such as the three great trading empires of West Africa: Ghana, Mali and Songhai.

Homework

AFRICA

The history of Africa can be divided into several major periods

1. prehistory (12,000 BCE) 2. consolidation and development of

centralized states 3. The start of colonialism and

imperialism 4. colonial period 5. Post-colonialism

The continent of Africa

considered the earliest human inhabited place Earliest Homo sapiens fossils were found Discovery of evidence of human behaviors

before elsewhere Second largest continent, one-quarter of the

world’s total land area Home to about a billion people

55 recognized sovereign nations and some partially sovereign

Africa is a diverse continent with 3,000 ethnic groups and 2,000 languages

Main focus: West Africa

West Africa For millions of years, the people of West Africa were hunter-

gatherers who subsisted by catching animals, birds, fish, insects and by gathering plants, roots, and berries

Some inhabitants herded cattle, goats, and sheep Weapons and tools were crucial throughout the region Until 500 BC, instruments such as spears were made of bone and

stone fixed to sticks (iron replaced stone) Nok mastered iron making Iron revolution-increased iron axes and hoes and farming began

to take place on a large scale (farmers) Spears and arrows with iron tips allowed hunters to kill more

animals Increased in production and improved supply spurred population

growth As a result, villages developed into cities and there was an

increase of trade between communities

Source: http://buckley6thgradehistory.pbworks.com/w/page/9303578/AnamWiki

Emergence of West African Empires

Jenne-Jeno Ancient city, founded in 250 BCE Strategic location -The site is located on a floodplain of the inland Niger Delta -fished in the Niger River -natural high way for trade By 800 CE, the inhabitants of Jenne-Jeno connected and traded with

North Africa to import salt, copper, and stone Trade brought great wealth to those West African rulers who controlled

cities like Jenne Jeno Collected taxes through trade Monarchs were able to build powerful armies which in turn were

used to invade neighboring states and gain greater monopoly over the trade

In this way, three large empires—Ghana, Mali and Songhai were able to developed in West Africa between 700-1600

DISCOVERY OF IRON

Iron melting process

1. Iron workers identified sources of iron ore by looking for rocks with dark streaks. They obtained the ore by digging it out of the ground or simply collecting pieces lying on the surface of the ground

2. To extract the iron from these rocks, the Nok crushed them into smaller pieces and then threw the same pieces into a furnace made of clay. Charcoal was burned in the furnace, and bellows were used to keep he fire hot enough to melt the iron so that it would run to the bottom of the furnace.

3. As the iron cooled, the iron workers, or blacksmiths, used hammers to beat the metal into axes, hoes, and spearheads.

Iron-melting

Actvity: Role PlayingRock crusherChief blacksmithSmelter Iron shaper

THE EMPIRE OF GHANA

Source: BBC NEWS http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/africa/features/storyofafrica/4chapter1.shtml

HOMEWORK

Review your notes and this PowerPoint Familiarize yourself with the

physiographic feature of Africa

Why do physiographic features matter?

• Physiographic features or the physical geography of things play a crucial role in determining the fate of a country or a continent

• Depending on the climate zones, location, geopolitical position, countries use different tactics to protect themselves, people adapt to different lifestyles for survival (i.e people who live near the sea tend to depend on sea food)

• Development of Agriculture/farming • Development of trading • Expansion of economy• Advancement of civilization