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