Ancient Civilizations in North Africa PDF

# Lesson 1: Ancient Civilizations in North Africa North Africa has many ancient civilizations that have made a big difference in the region. Here are some of the important civilizations in North Africa: * **Ancient Egypt:** Ancient Egypt is one of the most well-known civilizations in North Africa...

# Lesson 1: Ancient Civilizations in North Africa North Africa has many ancient civilizations that have made a big difference in the region. Here are some of the important civilizations in North Africa: * **Ancient Egypt:** Ancient Egypt is one of the most well-known civilizations in North Africa. It flourished along the banks of the Nile River for thousands of years. It is famous for its pyramids, temples, and enormous architecture. The civilization of Ancient Egypt left behind a treasure of art, writings, and religious beliefs. These treasures have had an important effect on world history. # Phoenician The Phoenician city-state of Carthage was in what is now modern-day Tunisia. # Numidia Numidia was an ancient Amazigh kingdom located in what is now Algeria and parts of Tunisia and Morocco. # Kingdom of Kush The Kingdom of Kush was a Nubian kingdom that existed in what is now Sudan. It is known for its pyramids, which look similar to the ones in Ancient Egypt. Kush also had a long history of relations with Ancient Egypt. # Roma The Roman Republic set up its first community in North Africa in 146 BC. # Lesson 2: Ancient Libyan Civilization A long time ago people lived in what is now the Sahara Desert. This region was not always dry, it had water, forests, and plants. They made use of its trees and fruits, and they lived in caves for shelter and protection. On the walls of these caves, they left behind beautiful engravings and drawings that show us what that area was like at that time. When these areas dried up and turned into deserts, some tribes migrated to permanent river valleys and fertile regions. One of the places they migrated to, was the Nile River. There, they started the civilization known as Ancient Egypt. In Libya, multiple tribes lived during ancient historical periods. They left behind many clues of their advanced and productive life. Some of these tribes include: 1. **The Tehenu Tribe:** They lived in the north-eastern regions of Libya. 2. **The Temehu:** They inhabited the western part of the Nile Valley, all the way to the southern borders of Egypt. 3. **The Ribu or Libo:** They lived west of the Temehu, along the eastern coasts of Libya. 4. **The Meshwesh:** They lived in the area now known as Al- Marj. 5. **The Bekaali:** A small tribe that lived around the Tobruk coast. 6. **The Makaay:** They settled on the shores of the Gulf of Sirte. 7. **The Garamantes:** These Tribes that inhabited the Fazzan region in southern Libya. They made the city of Garama in the Wadi Al-Ajal their capital and started a civilization. # Characteristics of Ancient Libyan Civilization ## 1. Governance System The governance system was based on tribal principles, meaning that each tribe had its own rules and a leader. This leadership position was hereditary. When a leader passes away, his son or brother would take his place. Leadership required the skill and capability to manage and solve tribal issues. A council, which is a group of people, got together to discuss how to run things. ## 2. Social Life The family was the foundation of Libyan society. Fathers had the responsibility of providing for the family's needs, while women did household tasks or worked in the fields. Libyan clothing was usually a simple wrapped skirt tied with a belt. But each tribe was a little different than the others. Leaders and rich people often wore a long cloak. Sometimes, they decorated their cloaks with ostrich feathers and tattooed patterns. Libyan women wore red-dyed cloaks made from goatskin. For jewelry, they wore bracelets, necklaces, earrings, and other ornaments made from gold, bronze, beads, and leather. ## 3. Economic Life In Libya, People living in the fertile coastal areas and the oases led a stable life. They had plenty of rainfall and abundant spring water. This allowed them to expand in agriculture. They grew crops like wheat, barley, dates, and vegetables. Inland, towards the southern part of Libya, the ancient Libyans were known to be nomads, moving from place to place. They herd cattle, goats, sheep, and donkeys. They used animal skin to make clothes, bags, and mats. Libyans were also good traders. They used to trade with African countries and their neighbors. When they went to trade, they took with them fabric, pottery, and glassware. In return, they brought home ivory, ebony, ostrich feathers, elephant tusks, incense, and other products. ## 4. Dwellings and Fortresses Ancient Libyans used natural caves as dwelling. When there were no caves, they built tents from animal skins. They also built huts made of woven reeds. Square-shaped fortresses near water sources. They built these fortresses using stones and clay molds. Some of these fortresses have been discovered near Benghazi and Sab-ha. ## 5. Ancient Libyan Writing Archaeologists have discovered engraved characters of an Ancient Libyan writing called Amazigh. These engravings were also found in other locations like Tunisia, Algeria, and the Sinai Desert in Egypt. These writing symbols were written in columns from bottom to top and had thirty characters. We can see some of these historical artifacts today in the British Museum. The ancient Libyan Amazigh symbols are like those in ancient Egyptian writing. They used similar vocabulary and put sentences together the same way.