Pre-Historic Africa

Kingdom of Kush[295 BCE – 320 CE]

Nubia[modern-day

Sudan]

Pyramids of Kush at Meroë

Pyramids of Kush at Meroë

Kushite in Egypt, 23 BCE

Kingdom of Axum [300-700]

Christian Church, Lalibela[Ethiopia]

Christian Church, Lalibela[Ethiopia]

Coptic Christian Priest

AXUM’SACHIEVEMENTS

AXUM’SACHIEVEMENTS

Controlled NE African

Trade

Controlled NE African

Trade

WrittenLanguageWritten

Language

Spread Christianityin No. & E.

Africa

Spread Christianityin No. & E.

Africa

TerraceFarmingTerraceFarming

Our Main Focus!

Berbers

GOLDGOLD

SALTSALT

Major Focus: Gold-Salt Trade

Gold “Money”, Ghana/Ivory Coast

Ghana Empire [4c-11c] – “Means King”

Key Economic Info - Ghana

• Known by Europeans as the richest kingdom in Western Africa

• Use of camels in trade created riches!

Key Economic Info - Ghana

• Exports: slaves (from captives), peppers and gold (not mined, but taxed by kings passing through empire

• Imports: horses, silk, cotton and . . .

Salt

Why is it so important?

Mali Empire [13c-15c] (rose out of Ghana’s decline)

GOLDGOLD

SALTSALT

Mali

• Very similar to Ghana

• Islam grew in region – most merchants and gov’t officials were of the Muslim faith

• Timbuktu – key city and major hub of trade and Islamic education

Timbuktu-”Heavenly Clay”

Timbuktu Rooftop, Mosque

Marketplace near the Niger River

Mosque in Gao

Great Mosque at Djenne, Mali

Distant Mosque at Djenne, Mali

Sundiata [1210-1260]

“Lion Prince”

Mansa Musa [r. 1312-1337]

European Map

Songhai Empire [15c-16c]

GOLDGOLD

SALTSALT

Songhai (or Songhay)

• Had seceded from Mali in 1375

• Great traders and warriors

• Last and largest of western Sudanese empires

Sunni Ali [r.1464-1492]

First leader after capture of Timbuktu

Led building of Songhai Empire

Askia Mohammed [r.1493-1529]

Led successful revolt against Sunni Ali’s son

Enlarged empire significantly

Askia Mohammed’s Tomb [1443-1538]

Gao, Mali

Thank you

Ms. Susan M. Pojer @Horace Greeley HS Chappaqua, NY