Traditional African cultures blended with European customs in the colonies to make new cultures. In an era in which we are existentially threatened by climate change and political dangers, it is a vital educational approach to promote our students sense of unity and respect. However, the Egyptians werent the only civilization to develop in ancient Africa. This is why in addition to our Public Lectures, the African History Project has launched Foundation Certificate to allow students to engage with African political and intellectual narratives more profoundly. 28 Jul. 0000006478 00000 n
0000001089 00000 n
Much of our knowledge of early Africans comes from slave traders' contact with Africans from west and central Africa who began capturing other Africans to supply Europeans with slaves. Refer to each styles convention regarding the best way to format page numbers and retrieval dates. All maps, graphics, flags, photos and original descriptions 2022 worldatlas.com. Elementary social studies frameworks can draw on African contexts to study geography, migration, interactions between humans and their environments, the circulation of ideas and culture, and political geography and modern countries borders. Its monumental ruins have inspired the imaginations of travelers and writers for centuries. Arabic cultures infiltrated Ethiopia in northeast Africa by the seventh century b.c.e. In this article, we take a look at why we should all study Africa. Fyle's book will certainly find a niche in precolonial African history courses. [9], The success of ancient Egyptian civilization came partly from its ability to adapt to the conditions of the Nile River valley for agriculture. But the presence of Europeans quickly disrupted many Africans' traditional ways of life. Africans rebelled against colonial rule and soon won their freedom, either in swift battles or long, bloody wars. Important civilizations developed throughout the continent such as Carthage, the Mali Empire, and she Kingdom of Ghana. Expeditions by Ezana into the Kingdom of Kush at Meroe in Sudan may have brought about its demise, though there is evidence that the kingdom was experiencing a period of decline beforehand. In this respect, studying history can increase human tolerance and respect for differences in opinion. https://www.encyclopedia.com/fashion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/africa-birth-civilization, "Africa: From the Birth of Civilization Whether youre just starting to teach about Africa or have experience doing so, adopting a stance of learning about this immense continent with students can be useful. Some research has been conducted into these past cultures but more is ongoing. 
costumes. 47 0 obj <>
endobj
Trim: 6 x 9, 978-0-7618-1456-6 Paperback August 1999 , chapter 1 Background to the Study of African History. At its height, Carthage itself had a population of nearly half a million inhabitants. By studying Africa, you begin to understand the reasons behind these customs and beliefs; you come to understand the uniqueness of the African experience. Encyclopedia.com. As Dr. Jonathan Weaver eloquently states, The only dark part of Africa is our lack of knowledge about it. To prioritize global education and antiracist practices, here are four strategies to expand the curricular range across grade levels. Ghana was rich in gold and developed extensive trading routes with northern Africans. The other kingdom was Lower Egypt, based primarily in the Nile Delta region of present-day northern Egypt. Carthage began as a city-state in what is now Tunisia around the 8th or 9th century BCE. Trade routes, established during the Greek and Roman times, were increased across the Sahara desert when the camel was introduced in 100 c.e.
[8], Egypt reached the pinnacle of its power in the New Kingdom, ruling much of Nubia and a sizable portion of the Near East, after which it entered a period of slow decline. 
"World's Oldest Planked Boats", in, Learn how and when to remove this template message, Association for the Study of Classical African Civilization (ASCAC), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Classical_African_civilization&oldid=1095627628, Articles needing additional references from July 2009, All articles needing additional references, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2022, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 29 June 2022, at 12:31. 
Archived from the original on 16 March 2008. The relevance of African issues is apparent in our everyday lives. . 
It was one of many successor kingdoms to Dmt and was able to unite the Eritrean and northern Ethiopian Highlands beginning around the 1st century BC. 0000001573 00000 n
The Kingdom of Kush flourished between c. 1069 BCE and 350 CE. We can identify at least 85 precolonial kingdoms. Many early African groups had contact with other cultures and records from these cultures provide much of the known information about early African life.
These colonies divided established African communities, created political institutions to run the colonies, and imposed many new ways of living on Africans. Copyright 2008-2022 ushistory.org, owned by the Independence Hall Association in Philadelphia, founded 1942. 0000003926 00000 n 0000002784 00000 n It largely owed its success to the vast gold deposits within its territory, which consisted of a large swathe of West Africa, from the Atlantic Ocean to the border between present-day Mali and Niger. This is in no small part because of the role the African continent and its people have been made to play in the building of these countries and societies. Our knowledge and understanding of African civilization began to expand in the mid-fifteenth century, when Europeans first landed on the west coast of the continent. So what were these civilizations all about and why are they so important? The first shipment of humans was made in 1451 and by 1870, when the slave trade was abolished, more than ten million Africans had been transported to European colonies and new nations in the Americas. One of the oldest and longest-lasting civilizations was Ancient Egypt which is still famous today for its pyramids and pharaohs. According to researchers, such as Dr. Louis Leakey, Africa has been proven to be the original home of man (homo sapiens). With resources to spare, the administration sponsored mineral exploitation of the valley and surrounding desert regions, the early development of an independent writing system, the organization of collective construction and agricultural projects, trade with surrounding regions, and a military intended to defeat foreign enemies and assert Egyptian dominance. Retrieved 25 March 2008. 0 %PDF-1.6 % The terms African civilizations, also classical African civilizations, or African empires are terms that generally refer to the various pre-colonial African kingdoms. Fashion, Costume, and Culture: Clothing, Headwear, Body Decorations, and Footwear through the Ages. In 1963 the leaders of thirty-two newly independent African states gathered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to establis, Neocolonialism can be defined as the continuation of the economic model of colonialism after a colonized territory has achieved formal political inde, Socialism, African The Benin Kingdom was located in West Africa between the 11th century and 1897 A.D. Why is such an important place so stigmatized and misunderstood? %%EOF By the mid-3rd century BCE, the Carthaginian Empire came into conflict with another ancient great power, the Roman Empire, which led to the Punic Wars. [10][11], The many achievements of the ancient Egyptians include the quarrying, surveying and construction techniques that supported the building of monumental pyramids, temples, and obelisks; a system of mathematics, a practical and effective system of medicine, irrigation systems and agricultural production techniques, the first known planked boats,[12] Egyptian faience and glass technology, new forms of literature, and the earliest known peace treaty, made with the Hittites. the West African Soninke people had created the Ghanaian empire and controlled the area between the Sngal and Upper Niger Rivers. Frumentius converted Ezana, who left several inscriptions detailing his reign both before and after his conversion. Although many fiercely resisted European domination, Africans were forced to adapt to colonial rule. Then, it is no surprise that Africa was once home to several great ancient civilizations. . Into Africa: A Journey through the Ancient Empires. Related Lecture: The Making of Asante Kings. 0000005774 00000 n trailer Modern Africa comprises 54 countries, each with its own political history, cultural influences, and social intricacies. Ask the question, How big is Africa? and use this How Big Is Africa? The geography of Africa helped to shape the history and development of the cultures and civilizations of the continent. In addition to the MLA, Chicago, and APA styles, your school, university, publication, or institution may have its own requirements for citations. Some of the world's first great empires originated in northern Africa around 4000 b.c.e., when Egypt began to develop. Encyclopedias almanacs transcripts and maps, Fashion, Costume, and Culture: Clothing, Headwear, Body Decorations, and Footwear through the Ages. Study with us: Foundation Certificate in African History. u]I=9\EouU. By 800 c.e. There are two basic models of African socialism that represent its variations and development on the continent (Rosberg and Callag, Africa, Modern U.S. Security Policy and Interventions, African American Catholics in the United States (History of), African American Newspapers and Periodicals, http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/africa/africasbook.html, https://www.encyclopedia.com/fashion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/africa-birth-civilization, Communication of Ideas: Africa and its Influence. 0000001637 00000 n Africa and its history are woven into the history of almost every single society and region on the earth. "Africa: From the Birth of Civilization The Dmt kingdom was influenced by the Sabaeans in Yemen, however it is not known to what extent. No longer able to follow their old ways of life, native Africans became laborers in European-run plantations and mines. Our students cognitive schema are influenced by these powerful messages that still operate in society. Gaining knowledge of other cultures through the appreciation of history encourages students of history to engage in critical analysis of their own culture and society and to understand and criticize their assumptions. Digital Egypt for Universities, University College London. In fact, the Songhai Empire largely replaced the Mali Empire as the prominent power in the region. ." For historians and all individuals interested in world history, studying Africa should thus be the first step to learning about any other history. 0000002044 00000 n [3], The first kingdom known to have existed in Eritrea and Ethiopia was the kingdom of Dmt, with its capital at Yeha, where a Sabaean style temple was built around 700 BC. Edutopia and Lucas Education Research are trademarks or registered trademarks of the George Lucas Educational Foundation in the U.S. and other countries. . But one of the biggest reasons for the perpetuation of negative ideas and misinterpretations is the simple neglect or avoidance of the continent's ancient history. Only Ethiopia and Liberia remained independent states by 1914. 0000000729 00000 n (Nomads are peoples who have no fixed place of residence and wander from place to place usually with the seasons or as food sources become scarce.). Astoundingly, Africa counts more than 1,000 ethnic groups, who speak more than 2,000 languages (a number that soars to 3,000 if it includes dialectical varieties). One way to provide a counter-narrative that humanizes and celebrates the continent and its people is to emphasize that Africa is the evolutionary birthplace of humanity. These civilizations often built great structures that were marvels of the ancient world. These wars ended in 146 BCE. The first verifiable kingdom of great power to rise in Eritrea and Ethiopia was that of Axum in the 1st century AD. In addition, Europeans built railways throughout the continent that quickly destroyed traditional trading routes. This society developed into the first black African empire: the Kushite/Mere empire, which lasted roughly from 800 b.c.e.
Science teachers can connect with world history content when they teach about the emergence of environmental conservation as a reaction to the effects of colonial exploitation of land and resources. During the period of the Old Kingdom (c. 2686 2181 BCE), the Egyptians built the pyramids for which the ancient civilization is best known, including the Great Pyramid, which is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The area surrounding the ancient Kushite capital of Meroe is now home to the ruins of over 200 pyramids more pyramids than in all of Egypt. Originally, there were two Egyptian kingdoms. The empire had an economy based on cattle husbandry, crop cultivation, and the trade of gold on the coast of the Indian Ocean. [7], Ancient Egypt was a civilization of ancient Northeast Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in the place that is now the country Egypt. The African diaspora is a term that refers to the dispersal of African peoples to form a distinct, transnational community. The kingdom was established around the year 2500 BCE. In 3100 BCE, King Menes of Upper Egypt conquered Lower Egypt and united the two kingdoms. There are vast nations like Algeria and small island-states like Seychelles. Egypt was a major trading partner of Punt. Many factors have contributed over time to the degradation of Africa and its peoples. 0000003304 00000 n xref Freed from European rule, these newly formed nation states began to establish new, African-run countries. ." A good place to start is with geography, making use of maps to build students geo-literacy to understand the relationships between representation, size, scale, and human diversity. 0000003801 00000 n Pittsburgh, PA 15260 0000188251 00000 n 2022. Iliffe, John. As Egyptian society began to decline around 1000 b.c.e., people living further south along the Nile River started building a culturally independent society.
(July 28, 2022). The city was built by Phoenician settlers, who migrated to the area from ancient Lebanon. A new-found respect for antiquities and excavations in the early modern period by Europeans and Egyptians led to the scientific investigation of Egyptian civilization and a greater appreciation of its cultural legacy.[14]. Ancient Egyptian civilization followed prehistoric Egypt and coalesced around 3100 BC. At its height, the Songhai Empire was bigger than all of Western Europe. Within the Cite this article tool, pick a style to see how all available information looks when formatted according to that style. By the 2nd and 3rd centuries CE, Aksum was a trading giant and vital conduit for trade between ancient Europe and the Far East. The predictable flooding and controlled irrigation of the fertile valley produced surplus crops, which supported a more dense population, and social development and culture. 0000006968 00000 n Stories and pictures in the news, the legacies of European colonialism and the slave trade, and attitudes conjured up through racial dissention within America have all distorted modern perceptions of the African continent and its people. Although they had first come in search of gold and other precious trading commodities, Europeans quickly started developing the slave trade, which involved the export of captured Africans. The culture of ancient Africa was as diverse as the geography of the continent. Africa is much more than pyramids, slavery, and colonialism, and incorporating deeper study ofthe continent has many benefits for students. Western influence continues to penetrate Africa through trade and charitable organizations. One can gain an understanding of the intricacies of African traditions and beliefs through a study of oral histories and in this way come to understand current societies better. The origins of the Axumite Kingdom are unclear, although experts have offered their speculations about it. Wars were waged, territories were seized, kings became rich, and Islam was spread across the continent. Halsall, Paul. Resources from African Studies Centers across the United States, many of which are National Resource Centers (NRCs), can help make the work of integrating Africa into the disciplines easier. New Lecture Series in Philosophy of History, Afro-Literati: An Introduction to Ngritude and the Nardal Sisters. From prehistoric Africa, humans spread to populate much of the world by 10,000 b.c.e. Encyclopedia.com gives you the ability to cite reference entries and articles according to common styles from the Modern Language Association (MLA), The Chicago Manual of Style, and the American Psychological Association (APA). Sometimes called Great Zimbabwe, the city was composed of imposing stone walls and various other stone structures. Teaching about African history, politics, and culture supports our students developing identities as global citizens. Therefore, its best to use Encyclopedia.com citations as a starting point before checking the style against your school or publications requirements and the most-recent information available at these sites: http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html. Small independent social groups developed throughout the African continent. Punt also had a profound cultural and religious influence on ancient Egypt. Zimbabwe is the name of an ancient city located in the present-day country of Zimbabwe. During the time that some western and central African tribes developed brutal systems to prey upon weaker tribes in order to round up slaves for sale to Europeans, peoples in eastern and southern Africa were developing societies of their own. While it was once believed that Dmt was a Sabaean colony, it is now believed that Sabaean influence was minor, limited to a few localities, and disappeared after a few decades or a century, perhaps representing a trading or military colony in some sort of symbiosis or military alliance with the civilization of Dmt or some other proto-Aksumite state.
costumes. 47 0 obj <>
endobj
Trim: 6 x 9, 978-0-7618-1456-6 Paperback August 1999 , chapter 1 Background to the Study of African History. At its height, Carthage itself had a population of nearly half a million inhabitants. By studying Africa, you begin to understand the reasons behind these customs and beliefs; you come to understand the uniqueness of the African experience. Encyclopedia.com. As Dr. Jonathan Weaver eloquently states, The only dark part of Africa is our lack of knowledge about it. To prioritize global education and antiracist practices, here are four strategies to expand the curricular range across grade levels. Ghana was rich in gold and developed extensive trading routes with northern Africans. The other kingdom was Lower Egypt, based primarily in the Nile Delta region of present-day northern Egypt. Carthage began as a city-state in what is now Tunisia around the 8th or 9th century BCE. Trade routes, established during the Greek and Roman times, were increased across the Sahara desert when the camel was introduced in 100 c.e.
[8], Egypt reached the pinnacle of its power in the New Kingdom, ruling much of Nubia and a sizable portion of the Near East, after which it entered a period of slow decline. "World's Oldest Planked Boats", in, Learn how and when to remove this template message, Association for the Study of Classical African Civilization (ASCAC), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Classical_African_civilization&oldid=1095627628, Articles needing additional references from July 2009, All articles needing additional references, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2022, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 29 June 2022, at 12:31. Archived from the original on 16 March 2008. The relevance of African issues is apparent in our everyday lives. . It was one of many successor kingdoms to Dmt and was able to unite the Eritrean and northern Ethiopian Highlands beginning around the 1st century BC. 0000001573 00000 n
The Kingdom of Kush flourished between c. 1069 BCE and 350 CE. We can identify at least 85 precolonial kingdoms. Many early African groups had contact with other cultures and records from these cultures provide much of the known information about early African life. These colonies divided established African communities, created political institutions to run the colonies, and imposed many new ways of living on Africans. Copyright 2008-2022 ushistory.org, owned by the Independence Hall Association in Philadelphia, founded 1942. 0000003926 00000 n 0000002784 00000 n It largely owed its success to the vast gold deposits within its territory, which consisted of a large swathe of West Africa, from the Atlantic Ocean to the border between present-day Mali and Niger. This is in no small part because of the role the African continent and its people have been made to play in the building of these countries and societies. Our knowledge and understanding of African civilization began to expand in the mid-fifteenth century, when Europeans first landed on the west coast of the continent. So what were these civilizations all about and why are they so important? The first shipment of humans was made in 1451 and by 1870, when the slave trade was abolished, more than ten million Africans had been transported to European colonies and new nations in the Americas. One of the oldest and longest-lasting civilizations was Ancient Egypt which is still famous today for its pyramids and pharaohs. According to researchers, such as Dr. Louis Leakey, Africa has been proven to be the original home of man (homo sapiens). With resources to spare, the administration sponsored mineral exploitation of the valley and surrounding desert regions, the early development of an independent writing system, the organization of collective construction and agricultural projects, trade with surrounding regions, and a military intended to defeat foreign enemies and assert Egyptian dominance. Retrieved 25 March 2008. 0 %PDF-1.6 % The terms African civilizations, also classical African civilizations, or African empires are terms that generally refer to the various pre-colonial African kingdoms. Fashion, Costume, and Culture: Clothing, Headwear, Body Decorations, and Footwear through the Ages. In 1963 the leaders of thirty-two newly independent African states gathered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to establis, Neocolonialism can be defined as the continuation of the economic model of colonialism after a colonized territory has achieved formal political inde, Socialism, African The Benin Kingdom was located in West Africa between the 11th century and 1897 A.D. Why is such an important place so stigmatized and misunderstood? %%EOF By the mid-3rd century BCE, the Carthaginian Empire came into conflict with another ancient great power, the Roman Empire, which led to the Punic Wars. [10][11], The many achievements of the ancient Egyptians include the quarrying, surveying and construction techniques that supported the building of monumental pyramids, temples, and obelisks; a system of mathematics, a practical and effective system of medicine, irrigation systems and agricultural production techniques, the first known planked boats,[12] Egyptian faience and glass technology, new forms of literature, and the earliest known peace treaty, made with the Hittites. the West African Soninke people had created the Ghanaian empire and controlled the area between the Sngal and Upper Niger Rivers. Frumentius converted Ezana, who left several inscriptions detailing his reign both before and after his conversion. Although many fiercely resisted European domination, Africans were forced to adapt to colonial rule. Then, it is no surprise that Africa was once home to several great ancient civilizations. . Into Africa: A Journey through the Ancient Empires. Related Lecture: The Making of Asante Kings. 0000005774 00000 n trailer Modern Africa comprises 54 countries, each with its own political history, cultural influences, and social intricacies. Ask the question, How big is Africa? and use this How Big Is Africa? The geography of Africa helped to shape the history and development of the cultures and civilizations of the continent. In addition to the MLA, Chicago, and APA styles, your school, university, publication, or institution may have its own requirements for citations. Some of the world's first great empires originated in northern Africa around 4000 b.c.e., when Egypt began to develop. Encyclopedias almanacs transcripts and maps, Fashion, Costume, and Culture: Clothing, Headwear, Body Decorations, and Footwear through the Ages. Study with us: Foundation Certificate in African History. u]I=9\EouU. By 800 c.e. There are two basic models of African socialism that represent its variations and development on the continent (Rosberg and Callag, Africa, Modern U.S. Security Policy and Interventions, African American Catholics in the United States (History of), African American Newspapers and Periodicals, http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/africa/africasbook.html, https://www.encyclopedia.com/fashion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/africa-birth-civilization, Communication of Ideas: Africa and its Influence. 0000001637 00000 n Africa and its history are woven into the history of almost every single society and region on the earth. "Africa: From the Birth of Civilization The Dmt kingdom was influenced by the Sabaeans in Yemen, however it is not known to what extent. No longer able to follow their old ways of life, native Africans became laborers in European-run plantations and mines. Our students cognitive schema are influenced by these powerful messages that still operate in society. Gaining knowledge of other cultures through the appreciation of history encourages students of history to engage in critical analysis of their own culture and society and to understand and criticize their assumptions. Digital Egypt for Universities, University College London. In fact, the Songhai Empire largely replaced the Mali Empire as the prominent power in the region. ." For historians and all individuals interested in world history, studying Africa should thus be the first step to learning about any other history. 0000002044 00000 n [3], The first kingdom known to have existed in Eritrea and Ethiopia was the kingdom of Dmt, with its capital at Yeha, where a Sabaean style temple was built around 700 BC. Edutopia and Lucas Education Research are trademarks or registered trademarks of the George Lucas Educational Foundation in the U.S. and other countries. . But one of the biggest reasons for the perpetuation of negative ideas and misinterpretations is the simple neglect or avoidance of the continent's ancient history. Only Ethiopia and Liberia remained independent states by 1914. 0000000729 00000 n (Nomads are peoples who have no fixed place of residence and wander from place to place usually with the seasons or as food sources become scarce.). Astoundingly, Africa counts more than 1,000 ethnic groups, who speak more than 2,000 languages (a number that soars to 3,000 if it includes dialectical varieties). One way to provide a counter-narrative that humanizes and celebrates the continent and its people is to emphasize that Africa is the evolutionary birthplace of humanity. These civilizations often built great structures that were marvels of the ancient world. These wars ended in 146 BCE. The first verifiable kingdom of great power to rise in Eritrea and Ethiopia was that of Axum in the 1st century AD. In addition, Europeans built railways throughout the continent that quickly destroyed traditional trading routes. This society developed into the first black African empire: the Kushite/Mere empire, which lasted roughly from 800 b.c.e.
Science teachers can connect with world history content when they teach about the emergence of environmental conservation as a reaction to the effects of colonial exploitation of land and resources. During the period of the Old Kingdom (c. 2686 2181 BCE), the Egyptians built the pyramids for which the ancient civilization is best known, including the Great Pyramid, which is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The area surrounding the ancient Kushite capital of Meroe is now home to the ruins of over 200 pyramids more pyramids than in all of Egypt. Originally, there were two Egyptian kingdoms. The empire had an economy based on cattle husbandry, crop cultivation, and the trade of gold on the coast of the Indian Ocean. [7], Ancient Egypt was a civilization of ancient Northeast Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in the place that is now the country Egypt. The African diaspora is a term that refers to the dispersal of African peoples to form a distinct, transnational community. The kingdom was established around the year 2500 BCE. In 3100 BCE, King Menes of Upper Egypt conquered Lower Egypt and united the two kingdoms. There are vast nations like Algeria and small island-states like Seychelles. Egypt was a major trading partner of Punt. Many factors have contributed over time to the degradation of Africa and its peoples. 0000003304 00000 n xref Freed from European rule, these newly formed nation states began to establish new, African-run countries. ." A good place to start is with geography, making use of maps to build students geo-literacy to understand the relationships between representation, size, scale, and human diversity. 0000003801 00000 n Pittsburgh, PA 15260 0000188251 00000 n 2022
(July 28, 2022). The city was built by Phoenician settlers, who migrated to the area from ancient Lebanon. A new-found respect for antiquities and excavations in the early modern period by Europeans and Egyptians led to the scientific investigation of Egyptian civilization and a greater appreciation of its cultural legacy.[14]. Ancient Egyptian civilization followed prehistoric Egypt and coalesced around 3100 BC. At its height, the Songhai Empire was bigger than all of Western Europe. Within the Cite this article tool, pick a style to see how all available information looks when formatted according to that style. By the 2nd and 3rd centuries CE, Aksum was a trading giant and vital conduit for trade between ancient Europe and the Far East. The predictable flooding and controlled irrigation of the fertile valley produced surplus crops, which supported a more dense population, and social development and culture. 0000006968 00000 n Stories and pictures in the news, the legacies of European colonialism and the slave trade, and attitudes conjured up through racial dissention within America have all distorted modern perceptions of the African continent and its people. Although they had first come in search of gold and other precious trading commodities, Europeans quickly started developing the slave trade, which involved the export of captured Africans. The culture of ancient Africa was as diverse as the geography of the continent. Africa is much more than pyramids, slavery, and colonialism, and incorporating deeper study ofthe continent has many benefits for students. Western influence continues to penetrate Africa through trade and charitable organizations. One can gain an understanding of the intricacies of African traditions and beliefs through a study of oral histories and in this way come to understand current societies better. The origins of the Axumite Kingdom are unclear, although experts have offered their speculations about it. Wars were waged, territories were seized, kings became rich, and Islam was spread across the continent. Halsall, Paul. Resources from African Studies Centers across the United States, many of which are National Resource Centers (NRCs), can help make the work of integrating Africa into the disciplines easier. New Lecture Series in Philosophy of History, Afro-Literati: An Introduction to Ngritude and the Nardal Sisters. From prehistoric Africa, humans spread to populate much of the world by 10,000 b.c.e. Encyclopedia.com gives you the ability to cite reference entries and articles according to common styles from the Modern Language Association (MLA), The Chicago Manual of Style, and the American Psychological Association (APA). Sometimes called Great Zimbabwe, the city was composed of imposing stone walls and various other stone structures. Teaching about African history, politics, and culture supports our students developing identities as global citizens. Therefore, its best to use Encyclopedia.com citations as a starting point before checking the style against your school or publications requirements and the most-recent information available at these sites: http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html. Small independent social groups developed throughout the African continent. Punt also had a profound cultural and religious influence on ancient Egypt. Zimbabwe is the name of an ancient city located in the present-day country of Zimbabwe. During the time that some western and central African tribes developed brutal systems to prey upon weaker tribes in order to round up slaves for sale to Europeans, peoples in eastern and southern Africa were developing societies of their own. While it was once believed that Dmt was a Sabaean colony, it is now believed that Sabaean influence was minor, limited to a few localities, and disappeared after a few decades or a century, perhaps representing a trading or military colony in some sort of symbiosis or military alliance with the civilization of Dmt or some other proto-Aksumite state.