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12.1 Diverse Societies in Africa, https://www.ancient.eu/Djenne-Djenno/,…
12.1 Diverse Societies in Africa
A Land of Geographic Contrasts
Region
The two largest deserts are the Sahara and the Kalahari, these lands are unsuitable for human life.
The Sahara was located in the North. It stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea, and is about the size of the United States.
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What problems might the expansion of the Sahara cause?
Since this land was unsuitable for living, the expansion of the desert forces people to move to other crowded areas. It also limits food production, and ruined good land.
The Kalahari is located in the South, more about the Kalahari desert:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalahari_Desert
Trade
The desert land made trade very difficult
Another uninhabitable environment is the rainforest.
Why might the rainforest be called "Nature's Greenhouse"?
The canopy of the trees acted like a roof for most of the rainforest. This canopy kept most sunlight from getting inside to the forest floor.
More about rainforests in Africa:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_Africa
Africa is the second largest continent in the world, with a total of 11.7 million square miles.
Stateless Societies
Societies of the Sahara
Social Systems
Most families were organized into groups called lineage
How is a lineage important to stateless societies?
Government Systems
African groups developed government systems based off of lineages
Sometimes lineage took the place as a ruler
Lineage helps balance the power by spreading power between all of the lineage
Members of the lineage that they are descendents of a common ancestor
A lineage included living members, past generations, and future generations
Lineage members were very loyal to one another
Most important element was family
Culture
Two types of societies to trace inheritance
Matrilineal Society
What is the Matrilineal Society?
Trace ancestors through their mothers
Young men inherit land and wealth from their mothers family
Men still hold positions of authority
Patrilineal Society
What is the Patrilineal Society?
Inheritance passes from father to son
Trace ancestors through their fathers
https://www.thoughtco.com/patrilineal-vs-matrilineal-succession-3529192#:~:text=Patrilineal%20societies%2C%20those%20that%20connect,%2C%20cultural%2C%20and%20political%20institution
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African societies had little written language
Storytellers shared history and literature orally
Why were oral traditions important in early Africa?
Make it possible for a society to pass knowledge across generations without writing
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/53cfd0e5e4b057663ea1bc61/t/57b1e0b746c3c406dd172afd/1471275383444/Oral+Traditions+of+West+Africa.pdf
Values and Beliefs
African people developed belief systems that helped them organize information
Many local religions were polytheistic
African religions generally included elements of animism
What is animism?
A belief system where spirits play an important role in regulating daily life
Believed spirits are present in animals, plants, and natural forces
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animism
What were some religious beliefs of early Africans?
Spirits are important in life
Spirits are present in animals, plants, natural forces
Natural spirits are their kings
Responsible for life events (harvest/illness)
This led Africans to ask spirits for health, fertility, and wealth
Early Humans Adapt To Their Environments
Who were the Efe Society?
They were Nomadic hunting-gathering society- from the oldest form of social organization in the world.
They have their own languages and often their own hunting techniques
The women and men in the Efe society
They search the forest for roots, yams, mushrooms and wild seeds
Efe men and older boys do all the hunting- sometimes would gather in small groups to hunt small antelope
The women were the gathers
Some would go solo and use poison tipped arrows to kill mammals such as monkets
Trade
They traded honey, wild games and other forest products
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Efe
To what might the Efe attribute their long success as a hunter-gatherer society?
They could help others around them learn good hunting techniques and other skills
Social Systems
Each family within makes their own descion and is free to come and go
Group members settle agruments through long discussions
Group leaders were either father, uncles, or father in laws -- the leader doesnt act like a cheif
If they cant be settled by talking, one group member may decide to move
Why would complex settlements require more government than smaller communities?
They would have had to organize who did what task for the settlement.
Government
Various types of government bodies developed to fill this need.
Gov. consisted of a village chief and a council of leaders of individual family groups
What happened to the pastoralists of the Sahara 8,000 years ago?
With wetter conditions that supported plant and animal life along with the people that lived there. Eventually collapsed
Why did this happen?
Many experts today to suspect the nomadic people were to blame for its downfall
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-6228245/Cattle-herders-living
West African Iron Age
How do artifacts provide a picture of daily life?
The artifacts reveal how people worked, lived, and helped them identify their daily tasks, and lives.
This is a staff from the Iron Ages.
What major changes affected societies during Africa's Iron Age?
One major change was the widespread introduction of iron tools into human societies.
Irons tools lead to a wider reliance on agriculture.And a rise in settled, urban societies.
Iron weapons had also helped societies expand and/or defend themselves as well.
What are some possible reasons that Djenne-Djeno was abandoned?
There was a drought that caused famine and war to help led to the abandonment of Djenne-Djeno.
What was Djenne-Djeno?
West Africa's first trading city.
Concepts- Invention & Change
https://www.ancient.eu/Djenne-Djenno/
https://www.ancient.eu/Djenne-Djenno/
