Download Early African Societies and the Bantu Migrations

Chapter 3:
Early African Societies and the Bantu Migrations
Themes
Agriculture and herding began in the Sudan area of east Africa and spread to the Nile Valley and
throughout sub-Saharan Africa. The desertification of the Sahara ca. 5,000 B.C.E. is particularly
noteworthy as the explanation of the shift from nomadic societies to agricultural ones in Africa as
humans had to concentrate their efforts to survive in smaller fertile regions along the Nile rather
than the extensive grasslands (savannah or steppe) that became the desert. Introduce the students to
the concept that savannahs and even deserts are not necessarily impenetrable barriers.
Savannahs/steppes and deserts are like oceans in that those with the appropriate technology (modes
of transportation and navigation) can traverse them with ease. Hence the Arabic term “sahel” to
describe the savannahs at the edge of the Sahara Desert as a “coast” to be navigated and traveled.
The most effective way to move quickly through this chapter and assimilate this information
would be to set up a comparison between early African complex societies (Egypt, Nubia) and the
Mesopotamian cities, kingdoms, and regional empires. Students do not need to know the specifics
of the Egyptian and Nubian kingdoms. Rather, they need to understand that these African complex
societies were also built on agricultural wealth of river valleys and developed similar institutions to
regulate political, economic, and social order. Furthermore, the wealth of the kingdoms served as
incentive for invaders. Conflict and trade were central webs of contact between urban societies as
well as between nomads and urban settlers. The Egyptian and Nubian cultures engaged in many
types of cross-cultural interactions with each other, and with Mesopotamian, Arabian, East African,
and Mediterranean cultures.
The south and eastward migrations of the Bantu-speaking peoples from west Africa
beginning ca. 3000 B.C.E. brought agricultural and later, ca. 1000 B.C.E., iron-working traditions
into sub-Saharan Africa. As with the Indo-Europeans in Eurasia, Bantu migrations resulted in
intermixing of populations, and the establishment of Bantu languages and monotheistic religious
traditions throughout the sub-Saharan region of the continent.
Chapter 3 Reading Questions:
1. How did Egyptian religious beliefs reflect their society, lifestyle, and geographic
location? They recognized the rain as a source of good and evil because the rain played such
a big impact on agriculture.
2. How did climatic change influence the early development of African cultures?
Because the weather became hot and dry the people were driven into the Nile regions
(because of the river). Since they were close to the Nile River, its annual flooding made the
soil rich and good for prosperous agriculture and allowed the early cultivators to be lenient
in their early farming techniques-in late summer, they would venture into the floodplains,
and after the recession of the waters, they would sow their seeds without any extreme
preparation of soil and then allowed their crops to mature over the winter, and during the
early spring, they would harvest them.
3. How did the institution of the pharaoh evolve, and what was the nature of the
pharaoh's power through the Old Kingdom period? After 3100 B.C.E. Egyptian rulers
forged all the territory between the Nile delta and the first cataract into one unified kingdom
that was larger and more powerful than any other state in the region. Menes was a minor
official from southern Egypt who rose to power and spread his authority north into the
delta. He then founded the city Memphis which became Menes’ capital. Then Menes and his
successors created a centralized state that was ruled by the pharaoh. The citizens as well as
the pharaoh himself believed the pharaoh to be gods living on the earth in human form.
People believed that the pharaoh was a human sun who was overseeing earth affairs. From
2660-2160 B.C.E. the pharaohs had the most power. Their authority was best seen in the
massive temples constructed across the landscape. The pyramids were used as royal tombs
and stand as proof to the pharaoh’s ability to achieve Egyptian resources.
4. Describe the early Kingdom of Kush. What was its relationship with Egypt like? After
five years of military kingdoms, Egypt was finally able to conquer lower Nubia and destroy
the Nubian capital, Ta-Seti. Then for 600 years, Nubian leaders began to work on political
organization in southern (Upper) Nubia. By 2500 B.C.E, Nubia was able to establish a
powerful kingdom called Kush. The capital of Kush was Kerma which was 700km south of
Aswan. Kush was not as powerful as the united Egypt, but it was a wealthy state that
occasionally worried Egypt. The relationship with Egypt was always full of tension, but
many explorers still traveled between the two. Many Nubians looked for an improved
fortune in Egypt, and many Egyptians looked to Nubia for trade.
5. How did the invasion of the Hyksos influence the later development of Egypt? The
Hyksos were much more advanced than ancient Egyptians at the time. They introduced the
making of bronze weapons, horses and chariots, and weapons such as bows. The most
important aspect the Hyksos added was the horses and chariots because they were added
into the military.
6. In what ways was the New Kingdom period of Egypt different from the earlier ones?
What were the relations with Kush like during this period? During the New Kingdom,
Pharaohs did not build huge pyramids like in the old kingdom, but instead constructed
temples, palaces, and statues to show power and authority. Egyptian armies destroyed both
Kerma (capital of Kush) and small Nubian states.
7. What was society like in Egypt and Nubia in terms of both social classes and gender
roles? Both Egypt and Nubia had patriarchal societies. In Egypt, the women did not play
kit
any important roles. Women mainly stayed at home and cooked/ cleaned/ sowed/ etc…
Women also served as regents for young rulers. In a Nubian society, however, women were
very important. They could reign jointly with kings, and they could govern in their capacity
as weight. Women were treated more as equals in Nubia more than Egypt. In both Egypt
and Nubia some women got a formal education and became scribes. In terms of social
classes, prisoners of war and slaves were at the bottom and preists and rulers were at the top.
8. What kind of transportation systems did the Egyptians use, and how did their
transportation influence the development of their trade networks? Traveled up and
down the Nile River Valley and had Nile trade networks.
9. What was the significance of the cult of Osiris? Because of the story of Osiris’ death and
resurrection, he is associated with the Nile (due to annual flooding and receding), crops, and
immortality. He was honored through a religious cunt that required high morals. For those
who possessed high morals, hope of eternal reward was present. It cast its message in terms
understandable to cultivators in early agricultural societies.
10. How did the Bantu migrations influence the development of the societies of subSaharan Africa? As the Bantus migrated, their languages slowly changed into more than 500
related Languages (most prominent family of languages in all of sub-Saharan Africa).
Because they were gradual migrations, the language and ethnic community spread gradually.
Once they produced iron tools and weapons, iron metallurgy spread as well.
Historical Terms and Concepts to Know
*Who, what, where, why, when, how, so what?
mummification
savannah
demographic pressures
Menes
pharaoh
mercenary
scribe
cataracts
hieroglyphics
Rosetta stone
pyramids