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36 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Saqia
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-ox-driven water wheel
-allows irrigation of land over 8m high, further from river -allows multiharvest cropping, including sesame, pearl millet, wheat, cotton -small areas watered mechanically, but can be cropped almost continuously -3rd or 4th c. AD -increased food production, reduced dependence of local elites on central rulers based on Meroe (former capital of Kush in Nile) -successor to shaduf |
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Shaduf
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-method of man-powered irrigation
-invented in ancient times to irrigate land -long, tapering horizontal pill mounted like seesaw, with counterweight -irrigated land of 3 metres or less |
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Deffufa
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-in city of Kerma, capital of Kingdom of Kerma
-mud brick temple, ceremonies performed on top of it -"western deffufa" was main featured of Kerma, Eastern was smaller and used for worship or in preparation of burial of dead kings -shows social heirarchy and ritual behavior |
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Bloom
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-in a furnace called a bloomery
-product is mass iron and slag known as BLOOM -shows complexity of technology of metallurgy before Europeans made contact. There was complex ironworking. |
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Teff
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-grass growing in northern Ethiopian highlands of northeastern Africa
-important grain in Ethiopia, key ingredient in making injera, SPONGY BREAD -Originated between 4k-1k BCE -Staple food of Aksumite civilization. Easy crop to grow. |
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Ensete
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FAKE BANANANANA
-ethiopia's most important root crop, traditional staple -was a lcoal domesticate of axum and has a strong aksumite agro-pastoral fountain, with little rchaeological signature of outlying farms -Axum based on cultiation of local crops: ensete, teff, and millet |
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Khat
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Narcotic drug, stimulant
Originated from Ethiopian highlands, traded with Arabians Valuable trade goods with Arabian coast |
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**Ezana!!!**
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-ruler of Axum in 4th c. AD
-converted to Christianity, converted his kingdom to Christianity -images of sun and moon on coins in Axum were replaced with Christian crosses, about 330 AD -May have militarily caused decline of Meroe (he invaded in 350 AD), Meroe was losing competition (commercially and militarily) to Axum -Inscriptions dating back to Ezana's time showing that there were LOTS of cattle, sheep,a nd "beasts of burden"...exact numbers mean they counted. -Around thist ime, Ge'ez literature properly begins |
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Ge'ez
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-ancient semitic language of ethiopia, official language of aksum
-evolved from proto-Ethio-Semitic ancestor used to write inscription in D'mt -Early inscriptions dated as early as 5 BC, but literature properly begins with Christianization of Ethiopia in 4th century |
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Almouqah
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Moon god of Southern Arabian kingdom of Saba, and kingdoms of D'mt and Aksum.
RUling dynasty of Saba regarded themsevse as his children. Bulls were sacred to him. Shows contact between Arabia and Africa before Islam, and commonality between religion? |
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Ibn Battuta
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Moroccan Muslim scholar and traveler, known for his account of travels called Rihla
Journeys lasted for almost 30 years and covered almost entirety of known Islamic world and beyond Describes the differences in practice between Western and NOrthern African Muslim practices. Archaeological evidence shows that traditional mortuary practices persist well after intorduction of Islam |
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Mobile Elites
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a) Nile
-earliest sign of complex societies in semi-arid West Africa based on transitory accumulations of pastoral wealth and power -represented in archaeological record by evidence for cattle herding, the making of valued objects in polished stone, and construction of mounts -mobile elites developed into semi-sedentary chiefdoms by 1500bc |
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Oryza glaberrima
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-african rice
-foudn in ruins of jenne jeno, 3rd c. bce, cultivating rice -early subsaharan africa, main crop accumpanied by millet and sorghum -storable food surplus used in trade -diversified subsistence economy that included other grains and cattle. precursor to complex societies -can support greater populationdensity, trading of goods, etc. |
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Megaliths
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-large stone to construct a structure or monument, either alone or with other stones. can use interlocking system without mortar or cement
-purpose ranged from serving as boundary markers to territory, to a reminder of past events, to religious |
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lead bronze
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-makes bronze easier to cast, but less durable. not good for waepons
-ex. double egg pendant with bird, lead bronze "roped pot" |
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Oni
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Statue of Ife ONi (King of Ife), dated by TL
artistic tradition derived from Nok 2nd millenium AD -realistic terracotta/copper heads in domestic hosues as shrines -yam cultivation assumed -specialization of labor, evidence of complex socity |
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Periplus of the Erythrean Sea
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-greek manuscript document that listed ports and coastal landmarks with distances between them
-between 1 and 3 c. AD, but probably mid-1st century -clearly a first-hand description by someone familiar with area, unique in providing insights into what ancient world knew about lands around Indian ocean -66 chapters -Opone port in Somalia, Malao port in Somalia, and Aksum Empire are mentioned |
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zimbabwe
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-sites on zimbabwe plateau indicating presence of urbanization and state formation between 1000 and 1500 ad
-characteristic features: presence of single or multiple enclosures of drystone walls, usually free-stnading and broad-baesd relative to height, constricted either of dressed masonry or poorly coursed masonry -this is what the Shona call these sites. |
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Tuyère
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blowpipes made of clay, connected to bellows to push air into furnaces, increase temperature during smelting
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dhow
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-traditional arab sailing vessel with one or more lateen sails
-key method of costal trade in East Africa along coast and in Indian Ocean -can hold 12 - 30 people -Many goods like glass beads, pottery, glassware, cloth (kikoi), manufactured luxry goods, skills, knowledge, horns, traded using these boats and lead expansion of trade in region |
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Meroe
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Nameof ancient city on east bank of Nile in present-day Sudan
Served as center of kingdom based on iron metallurgy INtersection of land-based trade routes by donkeys and camels, became known for its vast production and trade of iron into the west of Africa and beyond -Mroitic script, 23 lettesr, replaced Egyptian script. We can read the script, but don't know the language. graffiti suggests widespread literacy -declined due to new irrigation technology, overgrazing and deforestation, and competition with Axum |
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Aksum
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-important trading nation in northeast Africa
-firs tmajor empire to convert to Christianity, untouched by Islamic movements -Minted their own money by 3rd AD, Sub-Saharan Africa's first minted coinage for use in international commerce -Decline occured due to increasing Arab control of red sea ports for trade between 700 and 1000 ad -Plague, drought, and environmental deterioration may have also been possible factors in Aksum's decline |
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Yeha
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-an Aksumite town located in nothern end of Ethiopian highalnds
-housed temple built of ashlar sandstone masonry -size and quality of masonry are impressive -shows strong regional connections with South Arabia and implies an early organized and stratified state -has inscriptions written in a South Arabian language |
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Adulis
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-Archaeological site in norhtern red sea region of eritrea
-port of kingdom of aksum -mentioned in periplus of erythraean sea -was an emporium for ivory, hides, slaves, andn other exports -control of adulis kept axum in power of red sea -adulis fell to muslim invasions in 7th century, and axum lost naval ability over red sea |
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Jenne Jeno
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-in present-day Mali, on a tel
-9th century ad circular brick housing and cemetaries with pre-Islamic large burial urns, along with bodies in fetal position...pre-Islamic burials, traditions continue! -estimated population at about 11-20k, lept them fed by being one fo the first to domesticate rice |
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Timbuktu
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-established by nomatid Tuareg as ealy as 10th century
-town in the middle of nowhere -served as trading nexus and intellectual and spiritual capital for Islam and its proagation through Africa in 15th and 16th centuries -shows population peak in later first millenium AD, then it got dry so people left -shows that past urban development was common -located at strategic point on trade route -shows that many savanna urban centers grown up at environmental interfaces. -here, goods were transferred from camel to canoe |
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Igbo Ukwu
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-town in Nigerian state of Anambra
-dated in9th c. AD -primarily as a burial place, and large quantity of costly ritual items for royalty -indicated political heirarchy and existence of chiefdoms -discovery of complex production of prass objects are among earliest cast bronzes in subsaharan africa -metal from local sources -long distance trade implied, through glass and carnelian beads found |
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Kintampo
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GHANA <3 <3 <3 <3
2500-1400 bce-first evidence for decreased mobility in sub-Saharan weast Africa -one of the earliest known sites for cultivation of the cowpea -very limited use of sheep, goats, and/or cattle...intensification was VEGITATION-BASED -Suggests that Kintampo was established by both pastoralists and horticulturalists -At k6, hunting of large rodents/small animals attracted to forest clearings..."harden hunting", had gardens to attract rats? -"rasps" with unknown function...processing yams? |
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"Africa had no indigenous writing systems and no written records"
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Bullshit! :-)
-pre-Aksumite culture influenced by South Arabia. Sabean language used. -BUT, died out in favor of Ge'ez, ancest or of Eritrean and Ethiopian languages used to day -4th c. AD that a system of vocalization, which was clearly an Ethiopian development (at first, it was a consonental syllabery) -heiroglyphics and meroitic script. promoted literary specialists. -meroitic graffiti, suggesting widespread literacy |
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"architectural accomplishments of Aksum"
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-stelae: require extensive quarrying, shipment, and stone dressing. standing stones carved to represent buildings. proportions are ENORMOUS OMG.
-tombs: massive, complex stone constructions. Multi-chambered and served as a cemetary. largest sela appears to mark two underground tombs -dongur mansion: 7th c. AD, 40-room complex occupying about 3000 sq.m. had numerous rooms, various courtyards, could have held craftsmen, servants and slaves, or extended family. aksumite culture extremely sophisticated! |
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Aksumite Coins!
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-aksum had first minted coinage, between 3rd c. AD. second row minted between 4th and 7th c. AD
-coinage ceased to be issued when Aksum's trading interests were in decline, around 7th c. -coins mostly bronze, but also silver and gold. gold coins use roman weight standard, and all coins inscribed in greek. coins used for INTERNATIONAL commerce -well-integrated for land and sea trade exports: frankincense, gold, ivory, bronze, emeralds, hippo teeth and hide, tortoise shell, monkyes and live animals, slaves imports: mediterranean and egyptian glassware, metalwork, textiles, wine, olive oil, pottery -transition from pagan religious tradition to Christian tradition |
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"money is one of the origin pre-recs for a civilization. did subsaharan african states have money?"
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-money stores wealth - you can only have so amny cows, need a form of wealth that does not need to be fed, esp. for int'l trade
-coins minted at Axum in 3rd c. AD -coins minted elsewhere in e. Africa: Kilwa, Mafia, Zanzibar, Mogadishu, and other places (used coinage to re-inforce control over conquered territories) -post-8th c. AD coins at Shanga (use of silver coins w/ inscriptions in Arabic, had to do with muslim faith of rulers, integration into bigger economy ->>central Africa, croisettes made of copper, originating as ingots but used as currency later -probably first used for buying wives, purposes became more general -wide distribution, from Indian ocean to Atlantic coast in Angola. Value increases wtih source distance |
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"why did axum decline?"
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-isolation of the kingdom?
-Persian conquest of Yemen and of all of Arabia, including African ports -rise of Arab nation-state, united under Islam...friendly relations at first, then not so much -control of sea routes were lost with loss of Adulis -power shift in southern regions became necessary once defoestation and degratation hurt land. Irregular rainfall eroded soil. |
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"evidence for complexity before Islam in E. Africa?"
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-in pre-Aksumite Ethopia, large South-Arabian style temple at Yeha had Sabean script. D'mt state mentioned in texts.
-Complex building technology: Edna Mika'el and dams of Koloe -3rd c. Aksumite empire minted their own money and used for international commerce -also had elaborate ceramics and detailed workmanship in ivory |
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"to what extend did African traditional practices survive in the African diaspora in the US?"
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POTS:
-dude named Dave, wrote names and poems even though slaves weren't allowed to read/write -made the biggest and best pots evarrr so they let it slide -made pots with faces and angled spouts, like in Africa BASKETS: -round baskets with coiled, flat bottoms -brought to US by slaves, who were brought to Charleston because they knew how to grow rice in the humid, jungle-like atmosphere -show baskets versus work bakets (fanner baskets...to fan the chaff away from the rice kernal) SHOTGUN HOUSE: -skinny house that's just one giant room with no privacy -walls erected, but need to walk through one room toget to another -have PORCHES, which are of African origin, symbolizing desire to be outside. European homes have no porches because "civlized" people didn't spend time outside BANJO: -like a drum with strings on it, African origin -first unique American instrument -slaves dance low to the ground, like they do in Africa. closer to mother earth. where phrase "gettin' down" comes from |
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"was zimbabwe built by ancestors of the shona?"
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-contested with rival ethnic group the Matabele
-sufficient oral tradition exist to demonstrate that Great zimbabwe was built by ancestors of Shona -David Randall-Maclver, student of Flinders Petrie, carefully observed stratigraphy, concluded an African origin, 14th/15th c. AD -Gertrude Caton-Thompson -some 13th century ceramics, her findings verified Randall-Maclver -politics of archaeology crazy. after decolonization, reclaiming of the site, soapstone bird national symbol -cecil rhodes and royal geographic society thought that "arabian race" or Phoenicians built the great structure, foundation on persistent myth that Africans were incapable of producing such magnificent structures |
