History of Africa

Class Resources

Chapter Links	Reference Sites	Maps
New Sources	Country information

NOTE: Use of photographs from a site means I liked the picture.
It does NOT mean I endorse the content of the site - evaluate each site on its merits or lack thereof.

Chapters: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine

Chapter One: Introducing Africa & It's History

How big is Africa: Comparison map from The Times Atlas via The Strange Maps blog
Plate tectonics/continent drift from the USGS
Origins of the Human Race from the BBC
Rift Valley map from Wikipedia.org
Human Family Tree from the Smithsonian
Lucy - Australopithecus afarensis from the Field Museum, Chicago
A. afarensis footprints from PBS.org, dig site & single print from Britannica.com
H. habilis to H. neanderthalensis from Fairfax Digital
Homo erectus map from Dr. Dennis O'Neil, Palomar College
Hominid Fossils Time/Space Chart from S. Heslip at MSU
Homo Sapiens: Out of Africa from the BBC
Fossil Dating from the Discovery Channel
The First Stone Tools form Maricopa.edu
Hominid Tools from Handprint.com
Anthropology of Race (scroll down, audio file, requires RealPlayer) from NPR
Genetic Differences Africa vs world from Yale
mtDNA migration map from Family Tree DNA
Y-DNA migration map from Family Tree DNA
The Genographic Project from National Geographic

Chapter Two: Africa before the Agricultural Age, 16,000 - 9,000 BCE

Climate History Timeline from NOAA
Climate change in Africa by Jonathan Adams, Oakridge National Laboratory
- Current
- Last Glacial Maximum (c. 20,000 - 16,000 BP)
- Improving climate (c. 12,000 BP)
- Holocene Climatic Optimum (c. 9000 BP)
- Side by side comparison
- Ehret map
How people got their food:
- Food Insects Newsletter
- Edible Insects in S. Africa from Science in Africa
- Common edible plants of Africa from Indiana U.
- Wild Food Plants - Southern Sudan from Caroline Gullick
- Wild Food/Famine Food Field Guide (Ethiopia) from UPenn
Primitive technology (aka traditional or prehistoric technology) from PrimitiveWays.com
African Languages from the Columbia Encyclopedia and:
- Afroasiastic Languages
Language Families: Niger Congo, Afro Asiatic, Khoisan, Nilo Saharan, from the Rosetta Project
Map of African Language families from Wikipedia.org
San from Campbell Game Reserve

Chapter Three: Culture & Technology in Africa, 9000 - 3500 BCE

Climate change in Africa, by Jonathan Adams, Oakridge National Laboratory
- c. 6,5000 yrs. BP
- Saharan Rock Art from Images from History, uab.edu
- Archaic Southern Africa from Images from History, uab.edu
- Present day (beginning about 5,000 BP)
- Comparison map
Ehret map1, map2
Map of Jericho from ffhl.org
Natufians (Wadi Hammeh 27) from La Trobe University: Dr. P. Edwards
- Picture of site
- Food processing equipment
- Food equipment & remains
- Sickle
- Rock art
Camels from wikipedia.org
Syrian Hamster from wikipedia.org
Enset from AAAS.org, picture from OxfamAmerica.org
Pearl Millet from alibaba.com
Pearl Millet from the UC Davis
Sorghum from UIUC
Spindle Whorls (many of these are modern, but give you an idea) from African Trading Beads & how they were used
Tef from UC Davis, picture from FAO
Finger Millet from FAO, drawing from nap.edu
Barley from the Hutchinson Encyclopedia
Emmer Wheat from Truman U.
Einkorn Wheat from Butser.org
Calabashes from Images d'Afrique
Fonio & field from a Japanese language site on gardening
Yams from Wikipedia.org, Yams vs Sweet Potatoes from about.com
African Oil Palm from the Palm Doctor
Raffia Palm from Raffia Online
Guinea Fowl, size (from ffc.org)
Okra from wikipedia.org
kola nut from the BBC
kola nut - photo made by Bob Walker in Bandundu Region (Democratic Republic of Congo) in 1987)
Bambara groundnut, from the Loret Miller Ruppe Peace Corps Masters International Program in Forestry
Archaic Nile Valley from Images from History, uab.edu
Sudan - Neolithic Pottery from UC Santa Barbara
Related Examples from Kadero from the Poznan Archaeological Museum
Archaic West Africa from Images from History, uab.edu
History of Art Timeline - Africa 8,000 - 2,000 from the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Chapter Four: Diverging Paths of History: Africa, 3500 - 1000 BCE

Afro-asiatic language distribution from wikipedia.org
Austronesian language distribution from wikipedia.org
Khoisan Language distribution from wikipedia.org
Nilo-Saharan Language distribution from wikipedia.org
Niger-Congo Language distribution from wikipedia.org
Bantu Language distribution from the University of MN
African Languages from the Columbia Encyclopedia and:
- Afroasiastic Languages
Language Families: Niger Congo, Afro Asiatic, Khoisan, Nilo Saharan, from the Rosetta Project
Map of African Language families from Wikipedia.org
San from Campbell Game Reserve
Ehret - Rivers map
Rivers & Lakes of Africa from the White Fathers Missionaries
Nile Basin map from Nile Basin Initiative/Africanwater.org
Mountain ranges map from peakware.com
Mountain ranges from Paleoclimatologie
Lake Chad from NASA
Niger Inland Delta from USGS
Ethiopian megaliths from France Diplomatie
Map of Ancient Egypt from emuseum at MNSU

Nile Basin map from Nile Basin Initiative/Africanwater.org
Map of Nubia from the Oriental Institute, U. of Chicago
Archaic Nile Valley c. 3500 - 3100 BCE History, Ancient Nile Valley - U. of Alabama/Birmingham
The A-Group Culture in Nubia from Nubia Museum
- A group pottery from History, Ancient Nile Valley - U. of Alabama/Birmingham
The C-Group culture in Nubia from Nubia Museum
- C-Group cemetery from History, Ancient Nile Valley - U. of Alabama/Birmingham
- C-Group grave goods: jewelry, pottery from History, Ancient Nile Valley - U. of Alabama/Birmingham
The Kerma Culture in Nubia from Nubia Museum
The Colonial Period in Nubia from Nubia Museum
Nubian Art from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
- Bowl
- Head of a Nubian (faience)
- Furniture inlays
- Pottery
- dagger
Images from History, Ancient Nile Valley - U. of Alabama/Birmingham
- Kingdoms of Kerma & Punt, c. 2600 - 1550 BCE
  - Map of sites
  - Terrain
  - Western Deffufa (temple)
  - Tulip beaker (pottery)
Abu Simbel from wikipedia.org
Kerma & Kush from Nubia net
The Nubia Salvage Project from the Oriental Institute, U. of Chicago

Egyptian Museum, Cairo
Formative & Classical Egypt (=Kemet) 3100 - 1600 BCE
Post Classical Egypt (=Kemet) 1800 - 1100 BCE
Scorpion King's Mace from ancient-egypt.org
Palette of Narmer from Prof. Petersen's class at Coconino CC, AZ
Earliest Egyptian Glyphs from Archaeology
Hieroglyphs from Dr. Lancy's Origins of Writing site at USU
Early and Later Egyptian Writing from the Encyclopedia of Authentic Hinduism
See your name in hieroglyphics from King Tut's Treasures
Rosetta Stone (size) from Tango-Rosetta.com
Rosetta Stone from the the University of Texas
Mastaba - plan from U. Wisconsin, Milwaukee
Mastaba from 1000and1.de
Pyramid of Zoser (Djoser) from Shaav.com
Reconstruction of Pyramid Precinct from kenseamedia.com
Pyramids at Giza from Jill Britton's home page
Sphinx from guardians.net
Old Kingdom Statues from the Walters Art Museum
Egyptian Antiquities from the Louvre
Figurine of Amosis (New Kingdom) from the British Museum
Queen Hatshepsut from Metropolitan Museum of Art
Hatshepsut with beard from Speciality Interests
Temple of Hatshepsut from Traveler hat
Akhenaton and Family from Tour Egypt.net
Bust of Nefertiti from the University of Pennsylvania
Head of Akhenaten from www.art-and-archaeology.com
Daughters of Akhenaton from Saint Louis University

Chapter Five: An Age of Commerce, an Age of Iron: Africa, 1000 BCE - 300 CE

Periplus Map from Wikipedia.org
Bantu 'migration' from Encarta
Map of Ancient Nubia from the Oriental Institute, U. of Chicago.
Map of Nubia & Ethiopia from proel.org
Pyramids at Meroë from ius.edu
Pyramids at Meroë from crystalinks.com (drawing - reconstruction)
Pyramids at Meroë from nationalgeographic.com (scale)
Animal relief from www.jacobins.mairie-toulouse.fr
Images of Meroë from Images from World History
- Pyramids at Meroë c. 3rd C BCE - 4th C CE
- Temple
- Elephant statue
- Relief from Lion Temple
- Lion Temple
- "Kiosk"
Map of Egypt, Wawat & Kush from Akenaton's World
Map of Wawat & Kush with Meroe from Akenaton's World
Meroitic writing from Ancient Scripts
African writing systems from Cornell U.
Map of Aksum from Shillington
Ethiopic writing from Ancient Scripts
Map of North Africa under the Romans
Map of the Garamantes from the BBC
Nubia (Makuria) from wikipedia.org
Bishop Marianos and Virgin Mary from ddg.art.pl
Christian Church from dignubia.org
Christian Church from ancientsudan.org

Chapter Six: Southern, Central, and Eastern Africa: The Middle Centuries, 300 - 1450

Map of Congo River with Malebo (=Stanley) Pool from Worldatlas.com/CIA
Closeup of Pool
Nkisi from Virginia U.
Cowrie shells from wikipedia.org
Nzimbu = Cowrie and other shells used as money from numispro.free.fr
Pangolin, for size
Ibn Battuta Map from U. B.C.
Trading routes: Map 1, Map 2 from U. B.C
Ngoni (probable ancestor to banjo)

Chapter Seven: Northeastern, West, and North Africa: The Middle Centuries, 300 - 1450

Debra Damo from Selamta.net
Lalibela from Selamta.net
Lalibela from Ethiopian Travel
Ethiopian sites from Ethiopian Art Heritage Project, click on gallery
Balafon from wikipedia.org
Map of Arabian Peninsula & the Horn of Africa from Encarta

Chapter Eight: The Early Atlantic Age, 1450 - 1640

Map of Wagadu or Ghana Empire from Wikipedia
Empire of Mali from Wikipedia
Songhay Empire from Wikipedia
Map showing all three from Exploring Africa
Map of the Gold Coast (Ghana) from MSU
Forlani 1566 map of West Africa from Afriterra
Allard 1690 map of West Africa from Afriterra
Cassava (Manioc, Yuca) and roots from Wikipedia
Malebo Pool (formerly Stanley Pool) from Nasa via Wikipedia.org
Map of the Congos - from Infoplease.com
nzimbu (money cowrie shells) from Oceanlight.com

Chapter Nine: Africa in the Era of the Atlantic Slave Trade, 1640 - 1800

Map of the Triangle Trade from WCUPA.edu
Map of Slave trade from UNESCO via Dept. of Black Studies at UCSB
Map of modern slavery from iabolish.org
The Atlantic Slave Trade and Slave Life in America - a visual record from Virginia.edu

Map of Phoenician and Greek Colonization from Wikipedia.org

Map of North Africa under the Romans from Macrohistory and World Report

Map of European Colonies after the Scramble from Wikipedia.org

News

African News Service (AllAfrica)
Panapress
Yahoo News by Country
Lexis/Nexis Academic Universe (requires WSU ID from off-campus)
CNN
BBC

Reference Sites

Pronunciation Guides: Voice of America, African names & places from SCIS
The Story of Africa from the BBC
Wonders of the Africa World from PBS (goes with class videos)
African Early History Timeline from the BBC
National Geographic Resources on Africa - also see the National Geographic/Nature DVD series owned by the Library.
Africa: One Continent, Many Worlds from the Natural History Museum, Los Angeles
Internet African History Source Book
African Studies Center U.Penn. Many good links
Africa South of the Sahara from Stanford U. Many good links.
African Writing Systems from Cornell U.
- Just for fun - Write like an Egyptian from the U Penn. Museum
The Afrocentric Debate Resource Page from Paul Kekai Manansala

Topic Sites

Country overviews from MSU.edu
Country Monitors from Business Source Premier (type in monitor as journal and country name in search box or type in Africa or area (e.g. central Africa) for a more general view.)
SSAfunile.org

Maps

National Geographic Map Machine
Outline maps from National Geographic's Xpeditions Atlas
Checklist of Online Vegetation/Plant Distribution Maps/Africa from UC-Berkeley
African Maps from the African Studies Center, UPenn - includes city, country, CIA, etc.

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