1. 500 BCE – 1400 CE

2.  Much of what we know about Ancient African
society comes from the writings of foreign
visitors.
 African towns began as fortified villages,
which grew into larger communities that
served several purposes
 Towns were center of government
 Towns had markets with goods from trade
 Towns had artists who made pottery, tools,
woodwork, and other crafts
 Farmers could trade their crops for goods

3.  Inmost African societies, the ruler would
hold audiences with commoners
 The king was held in a position high above
other people in the kingdom
 The relationship of the king to his subjects
was beneficial to both sides
 Merchants received favors from the king, while
the king received taxes
 The king maintained law and order, which
allowed the merchants to practice their trade

4.  People who lived in villages generally lived with
extended family and/or lineage groups
 The extended family was made up of
parents/grandparents/children and other family
members
 Lineage groups were the extended family that may
live in separate homes in the same village, and were
all related
 Lineage groups were the basic building block of African
society
 Members of the same lineage group could claim
relation to a common ancestor
 Leading members of the group had power over the
others
 The lineage group provided support for its members,
taking care of one another

5.  Women were usually subordinate to men in
Africa, as they were in most early societies
around the world
 Women often worked in the fields while men hunted
or took care of the cattle
 One critical difference between African women
and women from other areas of the world was
that lineage was based on the mother; African
society was matrilineal, based on the mother.
(Most other societies were patrilineal – based on
the father.
 Women were permitted to inherit property and
often a new husband would move into his wife’s
house

6.  In the Congo, children were raised by their
mothers and were prepared to become part of
the community
 They learned language, family history, and music from
their mothers
 At age 6, the sexes were separated and the
fathers began to take an active role in educating
their sons
 Boys learned to hunt and fish
 Girls learned to work in the villages and fields
 As they aged, children were given increasing
responsibilities until they fully entered the
community, usually at puberty.
 Their transition was marked by ceremonies and/or
rituals

7.  Slavery was practiced in Africa even in ancient
times
 Berber groups in North Africa raided farming villages
south of the Sahara for captives
 The captives were taken northward and sold throughout
the Mediterranean as domestic slaves or soldiers
 Slavery was common in south and East Africa.
 Slaves were captives, conquered peoples, debtors,
and criminals
 Life was difficult for most slaves, who often
worked long, hard hours
 In Muslim societies and Asia, some slaves could
earn their freedom

8.  Early African religions varied from place to
place, although most shared some common
ideas
 The Yoruba people of Nigeria believed that their chief
god sent his son Oduduwa from Heaven to create the
first humans
 The Ashanti people of Ghana believed in a supreme
being called Nyame, whose sons were lesser gods.
Each son served a different purpose, like making rain
or sunshine.
 Most African religions had rituals and ceremonies
 One way to communicate with the gods was through
diviners, or people who believe they have the power
to foretell events by communicating with
supernatural forces

9. A key element in African religions was the
importance of ancestors
 Each lineage group could trace itself back to a
founding ancestor or group of ancestors
 Ritual ceremonies were dedicated to ancestors
 Many African religions shared a belief in the
afterlife
 They believed life existed in two stages: earth
and the afterlife, where the soul floated for
eternity

10.  African religious beliefs were challenged by
Islam, but not always replaced
 Islam swept rapidly across the northern coast
after the Arab conquest
 Islam was spread as a result of trade
throughout Africa
 The first ruling family to convert to Islam were
the Gao’s
 Islam spread even more slowly in East Africa
 Christianity dominated much of the region
 Was more successful when Swahili culture
emerged

11.  Earliest forms of African art were rock
paintings, dating back as far as 4000 BCE
 Wood carving existed throughout Africa.
Carvers made elaborate masks and
statues
 Clay and metal figurines were found in
Nigeria that demonstrated a flourishing
culture
 Metalworkers produced bronze and iron
statues
 African music and dance was extensive
and often served a religious purpose
 Griots were storytellers who kept African
traditions and history as part of their
stories