African Civilizations 1500 B.C.-A.D. 700 PDF

African Civilizations, 1500 B.C.–A.D. 700 Previewing Main Ideas INTERACTION WITH ENVIRONMENT The varied climates and natural resources of Africa offered opportunities for developing different lifestyles. By 500 B.C., the Nok people of West Africa had pioneered iron-mak...

African Civilizations, 1500 B.C.–A.D. 700 Previewing Main Ideas INTERACTION WITH ENVIRONMENT The varied climates and natural resources of Africa offered opportunities for developing different lifestyles. By 500 B.C., the Nok people of West Africa had pioneered iron-making technology. Geography Look at the location of ironworking sites on the map. What might explain why ironworking took place at these sites? CULTURAL INTERACTION Massive migrations of Bantu-speaking people changed the culture of eastern and southern Africa. The migrating people brought new skills and ideas about society to people in the south and east. Geography Study the time line and the map. Where did ironworking spread from Nok, and which group probably brought the skills? POWER AND AUTHORITY The kingdom of Aksum became a major trading center for Indian Ocean and Arabian trade. It also became the center of Christianity in East Africa. Geography Why was Aksum better suited for trade than Nok or Djenné-Djeno? INTERNET RESOURCES Interactive Maps Go to classzone.com for: Interactive Visuals Research Links Maps Interactive Primary Sources Internet Activities Test Practice Primary Sources Current Events Chapter Quiz 210 211  How can newcomers change a community? The year is 100 B.C., and you’ve spent most of the day gathering berries. The hunters have brought back some small game to add to the simmering pot. Just then you see something out of the ordinary. A stranger is approaching. He is carrying a spear and leading cows—a type of animal that none of you has ever seen. Your first reaction is fear. But you are also curious. Who is he? What does he want? Where has he come from? The communal elders have similar concerns, yet they cautiously go forward to greet him. 1 The hunter-gatherer community is small and tightly knit. There is, however, room to accommodate newcomers. 2 Having traveled long distances, this stranger might have valuable survival skills to share. 3 His spears could indicate that he is a good hunter or that his group may be hostile invaders— or both. EXAM I N I NG the ISSU ES How might both native people and newcomers benefit from their interaction? How would such interaction change everyone involved? Discuss these questions as a class. In your discussion, remember what you’ve learned about other peoples who dealt with foreigners, such as the Indo-European invaders of Asia and India. As you read about the early African civilizations in this chapter, notice how African peoples interacted with each other. 212 Chapter 8  1 Diverse Societies in Africa MAIN IDEA WHY IT MATTERS NOW TERMS & NAMES INTERACTION WITH Differences among modern Sahara animism ENVIRONMENT African peoples societies are also based on Sahel griot developed diverse societies as people’s interactions with their savanna Nok they adapted to varied environments. Djenné-Djeno environments. SETTING THE STAGE Africa spreads across the equator. It includes a broad range of Earth’s environments—from steamy coastal plains to snow-capped mountain peaks. Some parts of Africa suffer from constant drought, while others receive over 200 inches of rain a year. Vegetation varies from sand dunes and rocky wastes to dense green rain forests. Interaction with the African environ- ment has created unique cultures and societies. Each group found ways to adapt to the land and the resources it offers. A Land of Geographic Contrasts TAKING NOTES Outlining Organize Africa is the second largest continent in the world. It stretches 4,600 miles from ideas and details east to west and 5,000 miles from north to south. With a total of 11.7 million about Africa. square miles, it occupies about one-fifth of Earth’s land surface. Narrow coast- lines (50 to 100 miles) lie on either side of a central plateau. Waterfalls and Africa rapids often form as rivers drop down to the coast from the plateau, making navi- I. A Land of Geographic g gation impossible to or from the coast. Africa’s coastline has few harbors, ports, Contrasts or inlets. Because of this, the coastline is actually shorter than that of Europe, a A. land one-third Africa’s size. B. Challenging Environments Each African environment offers its own chal- II. Early Humans Adapt to Their lenges. The deserts are largely unsuitable for human life and also hamper peo- Environments ple’s movement to more welcoming climates. The largest deserts are the Sahara in the north and the Kalahari (kahl uh HAHR ee) in the south. Stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea, the Sahara covers an area roughly the size of the United States. Only a small part of the Sahara consists of sand dunes. The rest is mostly a flat, gray wasteland of scattered rocks and gravel. Each year the desert takes over more and more of the land at the south- ern edge of the Sahara Desert, the Sahel (suh HAYL). Another very different—but also partly uninhabitable—African environment is the rain forest. Sometimes called “nature’s greenhouse,” it produces mahogany and teak trees up to 150 feet tall. Their leaves and branches form a dense canopy that keeps sunlight from reaching the forest floor. The tsetse (TSET see) fly is found in the rain forest. Its presence prevented Africans from using cattle, don- keys, and horses to farm near the rain forests. This deadly insect also prevented invaders—especially Europeans—from colonizing fly-infested territories. African Civilizations 213  Vegetation Regions of Africa EUROPE 1 The deadliest creature lurking in rain forests is a small fly called the tsetse fly. Tsetse flies carry a disease that is deadly to livestock and can cause fatal sleeping NS Medi TAI terran sickness in humans. OU N ean Sea S M LA AT 2 Sahel means “coastline” in Arabic. African people may have named it LIBYAN DESERT this because the Sahara seemed like a vast ocean of sand. S A H A R A Nil e R. Re ARABIAN d PENINSULA 2 Se Sene Niger R S A H E L a ga Lake l. R. Chad d en of A Gulf A F R I C A 3 ATLANTIC Lake OCEAN 1 Turkana Gulf of Guinea Y E LL 4 Mt. Kenya A 0° Equator A T RIFT V Lake Victoria Mt. Kilimanjaro R. ng o 4 The dense trees and lack of edible Co Lake Tanganyika INDIAN vegetation in the humid rain forest GRE OCEAN make it an unwelcoming environment for most people. Rain forest Lake Nyasa Savanna Desert Mediterranean Zam be AR zi ASC R. NA MI DAG popo R. Lim BD MA ESERT KALAHARI DESERT S. 3 The savannas MT Oran ge R are home to G. ER S B herds of animals EN AK 40°W DR such as giraffes, wildebeest, and antelope. They also support grain crops of millet, wheat, and maize (corn). 0 1,000 Miles 0 2,000 Kilometers GEOGRAPHY SKILLBUILDER: Interpreting Maps 1. Place About what percent of Africa is desert? savanna? 2. Region If you were to fold a map of Africa in half along the equator, what do you notice about the similar vegetation zones above and below the fold? 214 Chapter 8  Welcoming Lands The northern coast and the southern tip of Africa have wel- coming Mediterranean-type climates and fertile soil. Because these coastal areas are so fertile, they are densely populated with farmers and herders. Most people in Africa live on the savannas, or grassy plains. Africa’s savannas are not just endless plains. They include mountainous highlands and swampy trop- ical stretches. Covered with tall grasses and dotted with trees, the savannas cover over 40 percent of the continent. Dry seasons alternate with rainy seasons—often, two of each a year. Unfortunately, the topsoil throughout Africa is thin, and heavy rains strip away minerals. In most years, however, the savannas support abundant agricultural production. Early Humans Adapt to Their Environments The first humans appeared in the Great Rift Valley, a deep gash in Earth’s crust that runs through the floor of the Red Sea and across eastern Africa. As you learned ear- lier, people moved outward from this area in the world’s first migration. They developed technologies that helped them survive in—and then alter—their surroundings. Nomadic Lifestyle Africa’s earliest peoples were nomadic hunter-gatherers. Today, some of the San of the Kalahari Desert and the BaMbuti (bah uhm BOO tee) of the rain forests of Congo are still hunter-gatherers. The San, for example, travel in small bands of a few related families. The men hunt with spears and bows and arrows, and the women and children gather roots and berries. Other early Africans eventually learned to domesticate and raise a variety of animals for food. Called herders, or pastoralists, these people kept cattle, goats, or sheep. They Collecting Water were nomads who drove their animals to find water and Finding and collecting water good pastures for grazing during the dry season. Millions of traditionally has been the job of modern Africans are pastoral herders as well. The Masai women, whether they have a Making Inferences (mah SEYE) of Tanzania and southern Kenya, for example, settled lifestyle or a nomadic one. Why might still measure their wealth by the size of their herds. Each day they set out to find clean Africans continue water for their families. Drought Transition to a Settled Lifestyle Experts believe that agri- living in a nomadic in Africa, which has lasted for many lifestyle? culture in Africa probably began by 6000 B.C. Between 8000 years, has increased the difficulty of and 6000 B.C., the Sahara received increased rainfall and finding clean water. In the past, it turned into a savanna. But about 6000 B.C., the Sahara began was estimated that women spent to dry up again. To survive, many early farmers moved east about nine minutes a day collecting water. In 2003, that time increased into the Nile Valley and south into West Africa. Some set- to 21 minutes, and women had to tled on the savannas, which had the best agricultural land. walk as far as six miles (about 10 Grain grew well in the savannas. In addition to growing kilometers) to find the water. grain, Africans began to raise cattle. In areas where the Obtaining clean water will continue tsetse fly was found, it was not possible to keep cattle. to be a challenging daily task, even However, south and east of the rain forests, cattle raising for people who have made the transition to a settled lifestyle on became an important part of agricultural life. Other small plots of land. Africans learned to farm in the rain forest, where they planted root crops, such as yams, that needed little sun. Agriculture drastically changed the way Africans lived. INTERNET ACTIVITY Create a Growing their own food enabled them to build permanent photographic report outlining African shelters in one location. Settlements expanded because reli- clean water problems and solutions. Go able food supplies led to longer, healthier lives and an to classzone.com for your research. increased birthrate. The increased food supply also freed African Civilizations 215 ▲ This rock painting in some members of the community to practice activities such as working metal, northwestern making pottery, and crafting jewelry. Africa shows These increasingly complex settlements of people required more organization a line of calves than smaller communities. Various types of governing bodies developed to fill this tied to a rope in a pastoralist need. Some governments consisted of a village chief and a council of the leaders camp. of individual family groups. As strong groups moved to extend their land and con- quered weaker settlements, they centralized their power and their governments. Some of these societies eventually developed into great kingdoms. Early Societies in Africa The societies south of the Sahara—like all human cultures—shared common ele- ments. One of these elements was the importance of the basic social unit, the fam- ily. Besides parents and children, this primary group often included grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins in an extended family. Families that shared common ancestors sometimes formed groups known as clans. Local Religions African peoples organized themselves into family groups. They also developed belief systems that helped them understand and organize informa- tion about their world. Nearly all of these local religions involved a belief in one creator, or god. They generally also included elements of animism, a religion in which spirits play an important role in regulating daily life. Animists believe that spirits are present in animals, plants, and other natural forces, and also take the form of the souls of their ancestors. Keeping a History Few African societies had written languages. Instead, story- tellers shared orally the history and literature of a culture. In West Africa, for example, these storytellers, or griots (gree OHZ), kept this history alive, passing it from parent to child: PRIMARY SOURCE I am a griot... master in the art of eloquence.... We are vessels of speech, we are the Analyzing Primary repositories [storehouses] which harbor secrets many centuries old.... Without us the Sources names of kings would vanish.... We are the memory of mankind; by the spoken word Why were gri- we bring to life the deeds... of kings for younger generations.... For the world is old, ots important to but the future springs from the past. African societies? DJELI MAMOUDOU KOUYATE, from Sundiata, an Epic of Old Mali 216 Chapter 8  Recent discoveries in West Africa have proved how old and extensive the history Vocabulary of this part of Africa is. Archaeologists believe that early peoples from the north desertification: the moved into West Africa as desertification forced them south to find better farmland. steady process of Discoveries in the areas of modern Mali and Nigeria reveal that West Africans drying of the soil developed advanced societies and cities long before outsiders came to the continent. West African Iron Age Archaeologists’ main source of information about early West African cultures has been from artifacts such as pottery, charcoal, and slag—a waste product of iron smelting. By dating these artifacts, scientists can piece together a picture of life in West Africa as early as 500 B.C. Unlike cultures to the north, the peoples of Africa south of the Sahara seem to have skipped the Copper and Bronze Ages and moved directly into the Iron Age. Evidence of iron production dating to around 500 B.C. has been found in the area just north of the Niger and Benue rivers. The ability to smelt iron was a major tech- nological achievement of the ancient Nok of sub-Saharan Africa. The Nok Culture West Africa’s earliest known culture was that of the Nok (nahk) people. They lived in what is now Nigeria between 500 B.C. and A.D. 200. Their name came from the village where the first artifacts from their culture were dis- covered. Nok artifacts have been found in an area stretching for 300 miles between the Niger and Benue rivers. They were the first West African people known to smelt iron. The iron was fashioned into tools for farming and weapons for hunting. Some of the tools and weapons made their way into overland trade routes. Nok Sculpture Nok artifacts show evidence of a sophisticated culture. Their sculptures are made of terra cotta, a reddish-brown baked clay. Sculptures include animals as well as people. This Nok figure features a classical look called “elongated” style. Most Nok figurines have these characteristics: distinctive features such as bulging eyes, flaring nostrils, and protruding lips an elongated style, especially used for the head the hand or chin on the knee in some figures hairstyle still common in Nigeria SKILLBUILDER: Interpreting Visual Sources Formulating Historical Questions What questions would you ask if you could speak with the creator of this sculpture? African Civilizations 217 African Ironworking Refining metal was an important technological advance in every 1 Layers of iron ore were civilization. Africa was no exception. Iron tools were stronger than alternated with layers of copper or bronze tools, so iron tools and the technology to produce charcoal fuel inside the them were very valuable. furnace. Temperatures Producing iron began by mining the iron ore. The iron itself was inside the furnace would reach about 2000º F. bound up with other minerals in rocks. The trick was separating the iron from the unwanted minerals. That was the function of the furnace 2 A tuyère (twee YAIR) was a shown below. This process is known as smelting. clay pipe that allowed air to flow through the furnace. RESEARCH LINKS For more 3 The bellows—usually made information on ironworking, out of an animal skin with a go to classzone.com wooden plunger attached— increased air flow in the furnace, thus raising the temperature. 4 The intense heat would cause a chemical reaction, separating the iron from the impurities. 5 The iron would collect and form what is called a bloom. After cooling, the bloom was removed. An ironsmith then worked the bloom into the desired tool or weapon. 1. Hypothesizing What advantages would iron tools give a civilization? See Skillbuilder Handbook, Page R15. 2. Comparing and Contrasting Use the Internet to research the history of modern ironworking techniques. What improvements have been made, and how do they benefit our life today? 218  Djenné-Djeno In the region south of the Sahel, most Africans lived in small villages. However, cities began to develop sometime between 600 B.C. and 200 B.C. Usually they were in areas along rivers or at an oasis. One of these cities was Djenné-Djeno. Djenné-Djeno (jeh NAY jeh NOH), or ancient Djenné, was uncovered by archaeolo- gists in 1977. Djenné-Djeno is located on a tributary of the Niger River in West Africa. There, scientists discovered hundreds of thou- sands of artifacts. These objects included pot- tery, copper hair ornaments, clay toys, glass beads, stone bracelets, and iron knives. SA HA R A The oldest objects found there dated from Djenné- Ni Se 250 B.C., making Djenné-Djeno the oldest n ge Djeno rR ega Vo lta. known city in Africa south of the Sahara. The lR. city was abandoned sometime after A.D. 1400. R. AFRICA At its height, Djenné-Djeno had some 50,000 residents. They lived in round reed ATLANTIC OCEAN huts plastered with mud. Later, they built enclosed houses made of mud bricks. ▲ A modern They fished in the Niger River, herded cattle, and raised rice on the river’s fertile artist, Charles floodplains. By the third century B.C., they had learned how to smelt iron. They Santore, has exchanged their rice, fish, and pottery for copper, gold, and salt from other peoples pictured life in Comparing who lived along the river. Djenné-Djeno became a bustling trading center linked to Djenné-Djeno around A.D. 1000. In what ways other towns not only by the Niger, but also by overland camel routes. were the cultures of The early inhabitants of West Africa were developing cities, cultures, and tech- Djenné-Djeno and nologies that would make their mark on history. Meanwhile, other groups in West the Nok alike? Africa were beginning to make an historic move out of West Africa. The Bantu- speaking people would take their culture and ironworking techniques with them to parts of eastern and southern Africa. SECTION 1 ASSESSMENT TERMS & NAMES 1. For each term or name, write a sentence explaining its significance. Sahara Sahel savanna animism griot Nok Djenné-Djeno USING YOUR NOTES MAIN IDEAS CRITICAL THINKING & WRITING 2. How were history and culture 3. What are four general 6. ANALYZING CAUSES Why did diverse cultures develop in preserved in African societies? vegetation types found in Africa? Africa Africa? 7. RECOGNIZING EFFECTS How did agriculture change the I. A Land of 4. What is the main source of way Africans lived? Geographic g information about early African 8. DRAWING CONCLUSIONS What evidence shows that Contrasts cultures? Djenné-Djeno was a major trading city in West Africa? A. 5. How is the African Iron Age 9. WRITING ACTIVITY INTERACTION WITH ENVIRONMENT B. different from that in other Choose one of the climate or vegetation zones of Africa. II. Early Humans Adapt to Their regions? Write a poem from the perspective of a person living in Environments the zone and interacting with the environment. CONNECT TO TODAY CREATING A MAP Create a three-dimensional map of Africa that illustrates both vegetation zones and geographic features. Use your map to demonstrate the geographic challenges to people living on the continent. African Civilizations 219  2 Migration CASE STUDY: Bantu-Speaking Peoples MAIN IDEA WHY IT MATTERS NOW TERMS & NAMES CULTURAL INTERACTION Migration continues to shape migration Bantu-speaking Relocation of large numbers of the modern world. push-pull peoples Bantu-speaking people brings factors cultural diffusion and change to southern Africa. SETTING THE STAGE Human history is a constantly recurring set of move- ment, collision, settlement, and more movement. Throughout history, people have chosen to uproot themselves and move to explore their world. Sometimes they migrate in search of new opportunities. Other times, migration is a desper- ate attempt to find a place to survive or to live in peace. TAKING NOTES People on the Move Analyzing Causes and Recognizing Effects As an important pattern in human culture, migrations have influenced world his- Identify causes and tory from its outset. Migration is a permanent move from one country or region effects of specific events to another. related to Bantu migration. Causes of Migration Aside from the general human desire for change, the causes of migrations fall into three categories: environmental, economic, and political. In the early history of human life, environmental factors were most Bantu Migrations likely the strongest. Later, economic and political causes played a greater role. Effect Effect For example, in the 15th century, the Ottomans’ drive for power pushed them to ▼ A mask of the move all over the ancient world to create a massive empire. As the world became Kuba, a Bantu- Effect more industrialized, more people moved to cities where work in factories was speaking people, available. Elsewhere, religious or ethnic persecution supported by governments from Congo and often drove groups of people to flee in order to survive. Zaire Seventeenth-century European settlers were pulled to America by the hope of religious tolerance, land for farming, or better economic conditions. When looking at migration, historians and geogra- phers speak of push-pull factors. These factors can either push people out of an area or pull them into an area. An example of an environmental pull factor might be abundant land that attracts people. On the other hand, the depletion of natural resources forces people away from a location—a push factor. Employment or the lack of it is an economic push or pull factor. Political condi- tions such as freedom or persecution can encourage peo- ple to move or to stay where they are. Urbanization also causes migration because job opportunities and other 220 Chapter 8  Migration: Push-Pull Factors Push Examples Migration Factors Pull Examples Climate changes, exhausted Environmental Abundant land, new resources, earthquakes, resources, good climate PU SH volcanoes, drought/famine LL PU Unemployment, slavery Economic Employment opportunities Religious, ethnic, or political Political Political and/or religious persecution, war freedom SKILLBUILDER: Interpreting Charts 1. Developing Historical Perspective Are environmental factors still a cause of migration in the modern world? Explain. 2. Analyzing Causes Which cause do you think is most important in modern migrations? Why? benefits attract people. The chart above shows how causes of migration are related to push-pull factors. Effects of Migration Life in a newly populated area changes because of the influx of new people. The results of migration may be positive or negative. Redistribution of the population may change population density. Cultural blending of languages or ways of life may occur. Ideas and technologies may be shared. People’s quality of life may be improved as a result of moving. Clashes between groups may create unrest, persecution, or even war. Environmental conditions may change, causing famine or depleted natural resources. Employment opportunities may dry up, creating unemployment and poverty. Migration changes the lives of those who migrate and also of the people in com- munities where they settle. Both groups may need to make adjustments in the way they live. Some adjustments may be relatively easy to make. For example, more advanced technology may improve living conditions. Other adjustments may be Forming Opinions more difficult and may occur over a longer period of time. One of these adjust- Which of the ments may include language. effects of migration Tracing Migration Through Language One way experts can trace the patterns of do you think are most negative? movement of people over time is by studying the spread of languages. People bring Explain. their languages with them when they move to new places. And languages, like the people who speak them, are living things that evolve and change in predictable ways. If two languages have similar words for a particular object or idea, for exam- ple, it is likely that the people who spoke those languages probably had close con- tact at one time. Experts have studied languages in Africa. One group of African languages, the Niger-Congo, includes over 900 individual languages. A family of languages in this group developed from a single parent tongue, Proto-Bantu. Many anthropologists believe that the language spread across Africa as a result of migration. Today in Africa, Bantu speakers live in a region from south of the Sahara to the tip of Africa. A Bantu language is the first language of nearly one-third of all Africans. African Civilizations 221  10°N Ni ge rR. Bantu Migrations, 3000 B.C.–A.D. 1100 Congo R. 0° Equator Bantu homelands Lake Victoria Migration routes 3000 B.C.–500 B.C. AFRICA Migration routes 500 B.C.–A.D. 400 Lake Migration routes A.D. 400–A.D. 1100 ATLANTIC Tanganyika Desert OCEAN Tropical rainforest Lake Nyasa 10°S Zamb ezi N A MI 0 500 Miles R. Mozambique 0 1,000 Kilometers B Channel DE SE KAL AHARI RT 20°S D ES ERT mpopo R. Li corn INDIAN Tropic of Capri OCEAN Orange R. 10°W 20°E 10°E 20°W 30°E 40°E 30°W 0° 40°W 30°S GEOGRAPHY SKILLBUILDER: Interpreting Maps 1. Human-Environment Interaction What geographic features did the Bantu speakers encounter in the course of their migrations? 2. Movement Why didn’t the Bantu speakers migrate northward? CASE STUDY: Bantu-speaking Peoples Massive Migrations Early Africans made some of the greatest migrations in history. When the migrations were over they or their descendants populated the southern third of the continent. Starting in the first few centuries A.D. and continuing over 1,500 years, small groups moved southward throughout Africa, spreading their language and culture. Historians refer to these people as the Bantu-speaking peoples. (The word Bantu itself means “the people.”) The Bantu-speaking peoples originally lived in the savanna south of the Sahara, in the area that is now southeastern Nigeria. Migration Begins Bantu speakers were not one people, but rather a group of peo- ples who shared certain cultural characteristics. They were farmers and nomadic herders who developed and passed along the skill of ironworking. Many experts believe they were related to the Nok peoples. Beginning at least 2,000 years ago or earlier, small groups of Bantu speakers began moving to the south and east. The farming techniques used by these people forced them to move every few years. The technique is called slash and burn. A patch of the forest is cut down and burned. The ashes are mixed into the soil creat- ing a fertile garden area. However, the land loses its fertility quickly and is aban- doned for another plot in a new location. When they moved, the Bantu speakers shared their skills with the people they met, adapted their methods to suit each new environment, and learned new customs. They followed the Congo River through the rain forests. There they farmed the riverbanks—the only place that received enough sunlight to support agriculture. As they moved eastward into the savannas, they adapted their techniques for herding goats and sheep to raising cattle. Passing through what is now Kenya and 222 Chapter 8  Tanzania, they learned to cultivate new crops. One such crop was the banana, which came from Southeast Asia via Indonesian travelers. Causes of Migration Although it is impossible to know exactly what caused the Bantu-speaking peoples to migrate, anthropologists have proposed a logical expla- nation. These experts suggest that once these peoples developed agriculture, they were able to produce more food than they could obtain by hunting and gathering. As a result, the population of West Africa increased. Because this enlarged popu- lation required more food, the earliest Bantu speakers planted more land. Soon there wasn’t enough land to go around. They couldn’t go north in search of land, because the area was densely populated. The areas that once had been savanna were becoming more desertlike. The Sahara was slowly advancing toward them. So the people moved southward. The Bantu people probably brought with them the technology of iron smelting. As they moved southward, they were searching for locations with iron ore resources and hardwood forests. They needed the hardwood to make charcoal to fuel the smelting furnaces. (See the Science & Technology feature on page 218.) As you can see from the map, the migrations split into eastern and western streams. Eventually, the Bantu speakers worked their way around the geographical Clarifying barriers of the Kalahari and Namib deserts. Within 1,500 years or so—a short time How did the in the span of history—they reached the southern tip of Africa. The Bantu speak- Bantu deal with the ers now populated much of the southern half of Africa. problems they encountered in Effects of the Migration When the Bantu speakers settled into an area, changes their migrations? occurred. The lands they occupied were not always unpopulated. Some areas into Bantu Languages: Swahili An estimated 240 million people in Africa speak one of the Bantu languages as their first language. Of that number, about 50 million people in central and east Africa speak Swahili (also known as Kiswahili). The word swahili means “the coast.” Swahili is widely used on the east coast of Africa, but is found elsewhere, too. It is the official language of Kenya and Tanzania. In fact, after Arabic, Swahili is the most commonly spoken language in Africa. Swahili uses Bantu basics along with Arabic and Persian words. It probably developed as people of East Africa interacted with traders from the Indian Ocean trade networks and with Arabic traders. The greeting “Jambo. U mzima?” (Hello. How are you?) and the answer “U hali gani” (The health is good.) can be understood by modern-day Swahili speakers from East Africa. 223  which the Bantu moved were sparsely populated with peoples like the BaMbuti and the San. These Africans were not Bantu speakers. They were not engaged in agri- culture but were instead hunter-gatherers. They had to find ways to get along with the Bantu, get out of their way, or defend their lands and way of life. As the Bantu speakers spread south into hunter-gath- erers’ lands, territorial wars often broke out. Fighting with iron-tipped spears, the newcomers easily drove off the BaMbuti and the San, who were armed only with stone weapons. Today, the BaMbuti are confined to a corner of the Congo Basin. The San live only around the Kalahari Desert in northwestern South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana. Both groups live a very simple life. They do not speak a Bantu language, and their culture does not reflect the influence of the Bantu-speaking peoples. The Bantu speakers exchanged ideas and intermar- ried with the people they joined. This intermingling cre- ated new cultures with unique customs and traditions. ▲ This Kuba The Bantu speakers brought new techniques of agricul- mask represents ture to the lands they occupied. They passed on the tech- the sister of the nology of ironworking to forge tools and weapons from copper, bronze, and iron. founding They also shared ideas about social and political organization. Some of these ideas ancestor of the Kuba culture still influence the political scene in eastern and southern Africa. Although the group, a Bantu- Bantu migrations produced a great diversity of cultures, language had a unifying Analyzing Effects speaking people. influence on the continent. How did the In the next section, you will see how cultures on the east coast of Africa experi- Bantu migrations change the history enced growth and change. These changes came about as a result of human migra- of Africa? tions from Arabia and cultural interaction with traders from North Africa and the Indian Ocean trade routes. SECTION 2 ASSESSMENT TERMS & NAMES 1. For each term or name, write a sentence explaining its significance. migration push-pull factors Bantu-speaking peoples USING YOUR NOTES MAIN IDEAS CRITICAL THINKING & WRITING 2. Which effects of the Bantu- 3. What are push-pull factors in 6. MAKING INFERENCES How can the effects of one speaking migrations do you migration? migration become a cause of another migration? think had the most long-term 4. What are three effects of 7. RECOGNIZING EFFECTS How does migration shape the impact? Explain. migration? modern world? 5. Into which regions of Africa did 8. HYPOTHESIZING How might the population of Africa be Bantu Migrations the Bantu-speaking migration different today if the Bantu-speaking migrations had not move? taken place? Effect Effect 9. WRITING ACTIVITY CULTURAL INTERACTION Write a Effect compare-and-contrast essay addressing how migrating Bantu speakers and the peoples they encountered may have reacted to each other. CONNECT TO TODAY CREATING A DATABASE Use online or library resources to find information on Bantu languages and the countries in which they are spoken. Build a database using the information. 224 Chapter 8  3 The Kingdom of Aksum MAIN IDEA WHY IT MATTERS NOW TERMS & NAMES POWER AND AUTHORITY The Ancient Aksum, which is now Aksum Ezana kingdom of Aksum became an Ethiopia, is still a center of the Adulis terraces international trading power and Ethiopian Orthodox Christian adopted Christianity. Church. SETTING THE STAGE While migrations were taking place in the southern half of Africa, they were also taking place along the east coast. Arab peoples crossed the Red Sea into Africa perhaps as early as 1000 B.C. There they intermarried with Kushite herders and farmers and passed along their written language, Ge’ez (GEE ehz). The Arabs also shared their skills of working stone and building dams and aqueducts. This blended group of Africans and Arabs would form the basis of a new and powerful trading kingdom. The Rise of the Kingdom of Aksum TAKING NOTES Summarizing List the You learned in Chapter 4 that the East African kingdom of Kush became power- achievements of Aksum. ful enough to push north and conquer Egypt. During the next century, fierce Assyrians swept into Egypt and drove the Kushite pharaohs south. However, Kush remained a powerful kingdom for over 1,000 years. Finally, a more powerful kingdom arose and conquered Kush. That kingdom was Aksum Aksum's (AHK soom). It was located south of Kush on a rugged plateau on the Red Sea, Achievements in what are now the countries of Eritrea and Ethiopia. (See map on page 226.) In this area of Africa, sometimes called the Horn of Africa, Arab traders from across the Red Sea established trading settlements. These traders were seeking ivory to trade in Persia and farther east in the Indian Ocean trade. They brought silks, textiles, and spices from eastern trade routes. Eventually, the trading set- tlements became colonies of farmers and traders. Trade with Mediterranean countries also flowed into seaports located here. The Origins of Aksum A legend traces the founding of the kingdom of Aksum and the Ethiopian royal dynasty to the son of King Solomon (of ancient Israel) and of the Queen of Sheba, (a country in southern Arabia). That dynasty lasted into the 20th century, until the last ruler, Haile Selassie, died in 1975. The first mention of Aksum was in a Greek guidebook written around A.D. 100, Periplus of the Erythraean Sea. It describes Zoskales (ZAHS kuh leez), thought to be the first king of Aksum. He was “a stickler about his possessions and always [greedy] for getting more, but in other respects a fine person and well versed in reading and writing Greek.” Under Zoskales and other rulers, Aksum seized areas along the Red Sea and the Blue Nile in Africa. The rulers also African Civilizations 225  Aksum, A.D. 300–700 crossed the Red Sea and took con- trol of lands on the southwestern Mediterranean Arabian Peninsula. Sea To Europe Aksum Controls International Jerusalem 30°N Memphis Trade Aksum’s location and expan- 0 250 Miles sion made it a hub for caravan routes EGYPT 0 500 Kilometers to Egypt and Meroë. Access to sea Thebes trade on the Mediterranean Sea SAHARA Aksum kingdom Tropic of Cancer Trade routes and Indian Ocean helped Aksum Berenice become an international trading R Mecca ARABIAN.R power. Traders from Egypt, Arabia, e d le Ni 20°N PENINSULA NUBIA Persia, India, and the Roman Empire S (KUSH) At crowded Aksum’s chief seaport, e a Recognizing ba Adulis (AHD uh luhs), near pre- Effects ra Meroë R. B Aksum Adulis sent-day Massawa. How did lue To India Aden Aksum’s location N de n Aksumite merchants traded il e of A and interactions Lake Tana Gulf necessities such as salt and luxu- Zeila with other 10°N AKSUM ries such as rhinoceros horns, regions affect To African tortoise shells, ivory, emeralds, its development? 30°E 50°E and gold. In return, they chose 40°E interior from items such as imported cloth, glass, olive oil, wine, brass, iron, and copper. Around A.D. 550, GEOGRAPHY SKILLBUILDER: Interpreting Maps an Egyptian merchant named 1. Location What nearby waterways enabled Aksum to become a major trading center? Cosmas described how Aksumite 2. Movement To which continents or countries did Aksum’s trade agents bargained for gold from routes give it access? the people in southern Ethiopia: PRIMARY SOURCE They take along with them to the mining district oxen, lumps of salt, and iron, and Analyzing Primary when they reach its neighborhood they... halt... and form an encampment, which Sources they fence round with a great hedge of thorns. Within this they live, and having Why don’t the slaughtered the oxen, cut them in pieces and lay the pieces on top of the thorns along traders speak to with the lumps of salt and the iron. Then come the natives bringing gold in nuggets like each other instead peas... and lay one or two or more of these upon what pleases them.... Then the of laying down owner of the meat approaches, and if he is satisfied he takes the gold away, and upon goods or gold? seeing this its owner comes and takes the flesh or the salt or the iron. COSMAS quoted in Travellers in Ethiopia A Strong Ruler Expands the Kingdom The kingdom of Aksum reached its height between A.D. 325 and 360, when an exceptionally strong ruler, Ezana (AY zah nah), occupied the throne. Determined to establish and expand his author- ity, Ezana first conquered the part of the Arabian peninsula that is now Yemen. Then, in 330, Ezana turned his attention to Kush, which already had begun to decline. In 350, he conquered the Kushites and burned Meroë to the ground: PRIMARY SOURCE I carried war against [them] when they had rebelled.... I burnt their towns of stone and their towns of straw. At the same time, my men plundered [stole] their grain, their bronze, their iron and their copper, destroyed the idols in their homes, their stocks of corn and of cotton; and they threw themselves into the river. KING EZANA OF AKSUM, quoted in Africa: Past and Present 226 Chapter 8 An International Culture Develops From the beginning, Aksumites had a diverse cultural heri- tage. This blend included traditions of the Arab peoples who A Road Paved with Gold: crossed the Red Sea into Africa and those of the Kushite Aksum to Rome peoples they settled among. As the kingdom expanded and The kingdom of Aksum had a became a powerful trading center, it attracted people from tremendous impact on the ancient all over the ancient world. Mediterranean world. It particularly influenced one of the most important The port city of Adulis was particularly cosmopolitan. It powers of the time, the Roman included people from Aksum’s widespread trading partners, Empire. Roman ships came to Adulis such as Egypt, Arabia, Greece, Rome, Persia, India, and weekly to trade with the Aksumites. even Byzantium. In the babble of tongues heard in Aksum, Many Roman merchants lived in Greek stood out as the international language of the time, Adulis and in the capital city, Aksum. much as English does in the world today. One of the chief commodities that linked the two powers was gold. The Aksumite Religion The Aksumites, like other ancient Aksumites had access to it from Africans, traditionally believed in one god. They called their inland gold mines, and the Romans god Mahrem and believed that their king was directly needed it to support the monetary descended from him. They were also animists, however, and system of their growing empire. Rome and Aksum were linked not worshiped the spirits of nature and honored their dead only by gold, however. They also ancestors. They offered sacrifices—often as many as a shared a spiritual link in their dozen oxen at a time—to those spirits, to Mahrem, and commitment to Christianity. often to the Greek god of war, Ares. Merchants exchanged more than raw materials and finished goods in Aksum. They shared ideas as well. One of these ideas was a new religion, Christianity, which you learned about in Chapter 6. Based on the teach- ings of Jesus and a belief in one God—monotheism—Christianity began in ▼ This mural Palestine about A.D. 30. It spread throughout the Roman Empire and then to Africa, depicting Bible and eventually to Aksum. stories is located on the wall of Aksum Becomes Christian Ezana succeeded to the throne as an infant after the one of the death of his father. While his mother ruled the kingdom, a young Christian man oldest Christian from Syria who had been captured and taken into the court educated him. churches in Aksum.  When Ezana finally became ruler of Aksum, he converted to Christianity and established it as the kingdom’s official religion. He vowed, “I will rule the people with righteousness and justice and will not oppress them, and may they preserve this Throne which I have set up for the Lord of Heaven.” King Ezana’s conversion and his devout practice of Christianity strengthened its hold in Aksum. The establishment of Christianity was the longest lasting achievement of the Aksumites. Today, the land Analyzing Causes of Ethiopia, where Aksum was located, is home to millions of Christians. What condi- tions led to Aksumite Innovations The inscription on Ezana’s stele is written in Ge’ez, the Aksum’s becoming language brought to Aksum by its early Arab inhabitants. Aside from Egypt and Christian? Meroë, Aksum was the only ancient African kingdom known to have developed a written language. It was also the first state south of the Sahara to mint its own coins. Made of bronze, silver, and gold, these coins were imprinted with the say- ing, “May the country be satisfied.” Ezana apparently hoped that this inscription would make him popular with the people. Every time they used a coin, it would remind them that he had their interests at heart. In addition to these cultural achievements, the Aksumites adapted creatively to their rugged, hilly environment. They created a new method of agriculture, terrace farming. This enabled them to greatly increase the productivity of their land. Terraces, or steplike ridges constructed on mountain slopes, helped the soil retain water and prevented its being washed downhill in heavy rains. The Aksumites dug canals to channel water from mountain streams into the fields. They also built dams and cisterns, or holding tanks, to store water. Pillars of Aksum Aksumites developed a unique architecture. They put no mortar on the stones used to construct vast royal palaces and public buildings. Instead, they carved stones to fit together tightly. Huge stone pillars were erected as monuments or tomb markers. The carvings on the pillars are representations of the architecture of the time. To the left, the towering stone pillar, or stele, was built to celebrate Aksum’s achievements. Still standing today, its size and elaborate inscriptions make it an achievement in its own right. It has many unique features: False doors, windows, and timber beams are carved into the stone. Typically, the top of the pillar is a rounded peak. The tallest stele was about 100 feet high. Of those steles left standing, one is 60 feet tall and is among the largest structures in the ancient world. The stone for the pillar was quarried and carved two to three miles away and then brought to the site. Ezana dedicated one soaring stone pillar to the Christian God, “the Lord of heaven, who in heaven and upon earth is mightier than everything that exists.” SKILLBUILDER: Interpreting Visual Sources Comparing How would constructing these pillars be similar to constructing the pyramids in Egypt? 228 Chapter 8  The Fall of Aksum Aksum’s cultural and technological achievements enabled it to last for 800 years. The kingdom finally declined, however, under invaders who practiced the religion called Islam (ihs LAHM). Its founder was the prophet Muhammad; by his death in 632, his followers had conquered all of Arabia. In Chapter 10, you will learn more about Islam and Muhammad. This territory included Aksum’s lands on the Arabian coast of the Red Sea. Islamic Invaders Between 632 and 750 Islamic invaders conquered vast territo- ries in the Mediterranean world, spreading their religion as they went. (See the map on page 261.) Aksum protected Muhammad’s family and followers during their rise to power. As a result, initially they did not invade Aksum’s territories on the African coast of the Red Sea. Retaining control of that coastline enabled Aksum to remain a trading power. Before long, though, the invaders seized footholds on the African coast as well. In 710 they destroyed Adulis. This conquest cut Aksum off from the major ports along both the Red Sea and the Mediterranean. As a result, the kingdom declined as an international trading power. But it was not only Aksum’s political power that weakened. Its spiritual identity and environment were also endangered. Aksum Isolated As the invaders spread Islam to the lands they conquered, Aksum became isolated from other Christian settlements. To escape the advancing wave of Recognizing Islam, Aksum’s rulers moved their capital over the mountains into what is now Effects northern Ethiopia. Aksum’s new geographic isolation—along with depletion of the How did the forests and soil erosion—led to its decline as a world power. Muslim conquest of Although the kingdom of Aksum reached tremendous heights and left a lasting Africa affect the legacy in its religion, architecture, and agriculture, it never expanded outside a kingdom of Aksum? fairly small area. This is a pattern found in other cultures, both in Africa and around the world. In the next chapter, you will study the pattern as it played out among the native peoples of North and South America. SECTION 3 ASSESSMENT TERMS & NAMES 1. For each term or name, write a sentence explaining its significance. Aksum Adulis Ezana terraces USING YOUR NOTES MAIN IDEAS CRITICAL THINKING & WRITING 2. Which of Aksum’s achieve- 3. How did Aksum’s location help 6. DRAWING CONCLUSIONS How did Aksum’s location and ments has continued into make it a trade city? interaction with other regions affect its development? modern times? 4. Why did the people of Aksum 7. ANALYZING CAUSES Why did the kingdom of Aksum become Christians? decline? 5. Why did Aksum’s leaders move 8. EVALUATING DECISIONS What impact did Ezana’s decision their capital? to become a Christian have on the kingdom of Aksum? Aksum's 9. WRITING ACTIVITY POWER AND AUTHORITY Write an Achievements opinion paper on the following statement: The kingdom of Aksum would have reached the same heights even if Ezana had not become king. INTERNET ACTIVITY Use the Internet to trace the beginnings of the Ethiopian dynasties INTERNET KEYWORD to the Aksum kings. Then create an Ethiopian dynasty family tree Ethiopian dynasty showing the dynasty in power until late in the 20th century. African Civilizations 229 Chapter 8 Assessment TERMS & NAMES Briefly explain the importance of each of the following to African civilizations in the period from 1500 B.C. to A.D. 700. African Civilizations 1. Sahara 5. Djenné-Djeno 2. animism 6. push-pull factors 1. Diverse Societies in Africa 3. griot 7. Bantu-speaking peoples Sa