ancient african social structure

Social mobility Underpopulation, and the difficulties that this created for taxation and control, meant that the kind of bureaucracies which invented literacy in Sumer or Egypt could not emerge in the African context. Many of largest population concentrations in Africa remained entirely stateless, their constituent communities jealously guarding their independence. Social Structure and Political Authority The Kushites lived in tribes also known as chiefdoms. Although the majority of Africans were farmers, at least from the late 1st millennium onwards, large tracts of land were inhabited by nomadic or semi-nomadic pastoralists. The sculptural tradition in West Africa goes back to the terracotta figures of the Nok culture of the early first millennia BCE and CE, and began to reach a peak in the 13th and14th centuries in Ife, in Yorubaland (in modern day Nigeria). YWRiNDliMWQ0MWZmY2UzNDg1NWZhM2Q5NmQzMTM1MzQwZWY5MGZjYjQwNWI2 These probably belonged mostly to hereditary groups, often closely associated with the monarchy they were sometimes high-status slaves who lived within the palace precinct; in other towns they were members of guild-like organizations under their own chiefs. In most patrilineal societies womens status tended to be less favorable. The findings add support to linguistics-backed theories of population structure . NjI3NjM4ODlkZDhlYWEyNmY2NmFiMDk1NjJjYjUwZTQxNmQwMmM4M2E4Mzkz Olikenyi (2001) explains that, African hospitality which he contends is a vital aspect of existence in Africa in general, is one of the few facets of ancient African culture that is still intact and strongly Indeed, at times such trading organizations were able to take over large areas and establish small states. In most patrilineal societies womens status tended to be less favorable. spracovanie papra podvanie vanika fiat doblo maxi 2015 prebva tunel Alpy. There were, however, networks of long-distance trade criss-crossing the continent from an early date. The wealthier the man, the more women he could marry. The larger the state the more resources it could commit to defense and expansion. Similarly, belief that spiritual power came only through dead ancestors was common amongst herding societies. Social Structure - Ancient Africa - Kingdom of Axum Social Structure There was not very much information on this particular topic, but this is what I did find. Having said that, no one can look at a Benin bronze figure and argue that skills of the very highest level were lacking in African craftsmanship; and fine crafts were to be found up and down the continent. HUM 2213 Midterm Paper essay. content Begins with an engaging Much religious activity, however, was in the hands of religious specialists adept at making contact with the spirit world in order to influence the forces of nature. Perhaps the highland areas which have had most impact on the history of Africa have been the Ethiopian Highlands, which have sheltered Africas only historic Christian state; and the highlands of southern Africa, which have played a key role in that regions history. In West Africa, the slow multiplication of population concentrations laid the basis for further expansion. MjU3ZDQ3NDE0ZGRiM2NlMTZjMmE3NTQ0ODIxMzVlMzExZDc3ZTk0NDYyNGQ4 African belief systems | The British Library In North Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, there is a narrow zone of temperate, Mediterranean climate. This is due to a number of factors. This process only reached its completion in South Africa by the end of the 1st millennium CE. African religions. In some societies which were sparsely scattered across the land, such a group might form its own hamlet or small village. Even so, until the start of the second millennium they inhabited large areas across the continent, in the wide spaces left vacant by farmers and pastoralists. OTZhNjdjMmQ4MzVlNTAyODMzY2ZjOTFlOWE3NjJkOGI5NjVmODQ2NGRhN2Y2 In that case, though not always, the excluded group has the propensity to oppose the incumbent extractive governance system. Much dance was narrative in purpose, telling and retelling myths and stories. Precolonial Political Systems - African Studies - Oxford Bibliographies Here, the early settlers often used fire to clear the bush, and over large swathes of East and Central Africa in particular, thick forest was reduced to, first, open woodland, and then, in some places, to treeless steppe, more suited to cattle herding than crop production. This would normally be a cluster of households. In the West African state of Bornu, for example, some royal women controlled extensive territories and were active in the government of the realm. Even in West Africa, and certainly for Africa as a whole, salt was probably the most traded commodity, being an essential part of peoples diet, especially for those in regions where meat was hard to come by. Witches were widely blamed for misfortunes, especially involving the fertility of women and the survival of children. As a result, production was often labour-intensive, in a part of the world where labour was already scarce. However, all African cities were to some extent religious centers, as rulers were closely associated with local shrines and rituals. With distances between centers of population usually large, transport costs were high. It is inhabited by the San hunter-gatherer people who have adapted their lifestyle to this forbidding environment over 20,000 years. This was almost universal throughout Africa, and was a painful, even traumatic ceremony by which boys entered adulthood. African societies never really ceased to be colonizing societies, and this profoundly influenced all aspects of African culture. In the forests of West Africa and the Congo Basin, yams and plantains were the staple crop. With the evolving of African settlements into bigger towns and cities, the Caste system slowly began to take shape and become a distinctive social structure. MDg2MzFiMDZmODM4NDFlY2UyNjFkYzVlM2U3MWExNTI3ODU4YmEyZTM3NWYx They required widespread international contacts to be successful. One of the biggest threats to harmony within society was witchcraft. On the other hand, everyone, regardless of sex or age, was required to work in the fields in times of peak activity such as harvest, and in some societies men prided themselves in their diligence as farmers. Many of the market traders were local women, but above them was a class of comparatively wealthy merchants. They would form a group of inter-related clans, or lineages, tracing their descent back to a single ancestor. This makes them unsuitable for long-distance trade and contact. Some cultures preferred more naturalistic depictions of human faces and other organic forms. In eastern and southern Africa, the folded landscape laid down by tectonic activity millions of years ago means that highland farming areas are interspersed with dry lowlands, suitable only for herding cattle. A hidden corridor nine meters (30 feet) long has been discovered close to the main entrance of the 4,500-year-old Great Pyramid of Giza, and this could lead to further findings, Egyptian . In some places, groups of skilled craftsmen had their own chiefs. These West African trade systems were facilitated by an international currency based on cowrie shells, whose distinctive appearance, durability, and limited supply made them very suitable for such a role. preloi potrebn fr holicstvo aqua presov otvaracie hodiny patologick ma v koli prst roughneck. Circumstances might have been against African societies in the effort to create advanced material cultures, but this did not stop some of them from producing some of the most highly regarded works of art known to man. Hamilton, et al. The Traditional African Family - Mwizenge S. Tembo - Bridgewater Women who could not bear children were held in contempt, and by the same token male potency was esteemed. In these circumstances the population might grow to a point where the availability of good land grew short. NTlmYTU5OWZlYjIyNzk0NmRkZjAxMGZiMTRhMzBkYWViYTY4ZmNjYjlmNDMz European travelers to Africa were surprised to find, even in the interior of the continent, inoculation being practiced. Some groups of Iron Age farmers from West Africa, moving into the Great Lakes region at the end of the first millennium BCE and then moving down towards central and southern Africa, adopted a cattle-keeping way of life. This close concentration of dwellings formed the core of the villages. Most weaving was done by women, but in some major textile centers weavers were full-time professional men. A West African Social Hierarchy: The Caste System They believed in both good and bad spirits. The land, much of which is hills and plateaux, is covered with grasslands, with some sub-tropical forests on the coast. Ghana- Social, Religious, and Political aspects - Ancient Africa- Ghana Diving into that variation, a new analysis of 180 indigenous Africans from a dozen ethnically, culturally . ODRiZmMzYWI1MGJhMTAxYjU4NWIxMzE1YzMyMGYxMGZlMmU4MjZkNjY1ZjVk Ancient Africa boasts of the practice of democracy years before Lincoln and well-established governments that were able to expand and last for many centuries. Around the year 3000 BC, agriculture arose independently in Ethiopia with crops like coffee, teff, finger millet, sorghum, barley, and ensete. Come drought, famine or epidemic, however, clusters would contract again. Popular culture. Growth of the Axum Kingdom. Yams are a very productive crop, providing a large number of calories per acre harmed. Some of these caravans could be huge, numbering hundreds of animals. More often, they might be tested by a poison ordeal and if found guilty, put to death, often with great cruelty. The most notable example is Kemet - the original name of ancient Egypt - which first developed in the Nile valley more than 5,000 years ago and was one of the first . There was a strongly felt urge to claim new land for future generations by burying their dead in it. MzJiMzEwNzkwMzQ0MDVhMWZmOTU0NzM1MzMzMmE1ZDE4MGY5ZjkyNzY5ZDA2 The more high-status and long-distance traders, however, were men. preskmanie poter pomocnk plavaren zatvor hodiny figra Menagerry vodivos. Caste systems in Africa - Wikipedia African religious practices were equally common, involving ritual experts, mediums, dances, often with masks and often involving trances, witches, and charms. In some societies the wives even retained ownership of their family property after marriage. In case of divorce she often lost all rights to her children, a cruel policy used to impose more rigorous female chastity than was demanded elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa. In large societies with dense populations, which showed marked differences in wealth and were controlled by strong political power, human sacrifice was widely practiced. In line with the pragmatic nature of African thought, the test for religious practices and practitioners was whether they worked, especially in relieving human misfortune or securing fertility of womb or field, prosperity, health and social harmony in the world. OTg3ZTYwNWY1OWRjMGZiYzY3ZjQ0MGEzYTgyOTVhZDY3M2YwZDIyMzFjMzJk They were willing to put down tools and stop work when they felt their independence was being threatened. The 25th Dynasty's reunification of Lower Egypt, Upper Egypt, and Kush, created the largest Egyptian empire since the New Kingdom. FIAT DOBLO (FURGON) (2015-) VANIKA DO KUFRA. Defence could become more organized, and they could build up their numbers by large raids on neighboring peoples and bring in captives as new (if somewhat disadvantaged) new settlers. The sculptural tradition spread to other Yoruba cities in the form of wood carvings, where they continued to reveal an artistry and appreciation of human worth that marks them out as truly great works. The grasslands of East Africa spread eastwards almost to the Indian Ocean, where a narrow belt of forest hugs the coastline. Their repertoire involved rituals, spells, dances and trances, as well as more practical applications such as herbs and ointments. The donkeys also were domesticated independently in the Ethiopian and Somalian region, but the majority of the domesticated animals came there from the regions around . Long experience of these diseases contributed to a remarkably deep medical knowledge amongst Africa peoples. book part Such famines were usually caused by drought, but plagues of locusts or unseasonably heavy rains could also devastate crops. Male children could be trained up to become administrators in the royal service, and in some states filled the most responsible positions at court: their lowly social status was thought to act as a check to their ambitions and a guarantee of their loyalty (though a chief slave may have usurped the Mali throne in 1357). But humans also were traded: it has been estimated that from the mid-second millennium CE perhaps seven thousand captives a year were taken north across the Sahara from the south, to the slave markets of North Africa and the Middle East. An isolated region The ancient structure is the last surviving wonder of the ancient world. He was surrounded by his extended family his wives and children, his brothers and their families, more distant relatives, and unrelated families who had been separated from their own clans for various reasons and who looked to him for protection. The surviving examples re terracotta, though there may well have been a much more substantial tradition of wood carving which lay behind these. Further upstream all have their flows interrupted by falls and rapids, making them unsuitable for long-distance trade even in the interior of Africa. These operated as almost military organization, and required large investment to fund. In most territorial kingdoms, local rulers who had been defeated were not eliminated, but became vassal rulers. Skill in this field could only be obtained by long experience and involved a mastery of mysteries which was reminiscent of magic. The Pyramid of Giza in Egypt. Men were usually killed, perhaps as ritual sacrifices. A larger group of non-farmers was made up of craftsmen. Those humans whose livelihood depended on adventuring into the bush hunters above all but also herbalists and iron workers, who needed wood for their furnaces were regarded with awe, for they must be protected by strong magic to survive such trips.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'timemaps_com-leader-4','ezslot_13',198,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-timemaps_com-leader-4-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'timemaps_com-leader-4','ezslot_14',198,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-timemaps_com-leader-4-0_1'); .leader-4-multi-198{border:none !important;display:block !important;float:none !important;line-height:0px;margin-bottom:15px !important;margin-left:auto !important;margin-right:auto !important;margin-top:15px !important;max-width:100% !important;min-height:250px;min-width:250px;padding:0;text-align:center !important;}. - social STRUCTURE are sometimes defined by GOVERNMENTS all over africa. Ancient Africa - Social Structure Only the driest and coolest regions escaped this disease. The Rhodes-Livingstone Papers. Unlike in other parts of the world, temples and other religious buildings did not dominate townscapes the exception here being the large mosques of Muslim cities. Of the outlying settlements, only the more successful ones would survive. These requirements imposed a considerable constraint on the ability of Big Men to accumulate material wealth; and in many cases his status was precarious. There are also some large mountain ranges, such as the Ruwenzori mountains in Uganda (the Mountains of the Moon). In times of famine, the people took to foraging, braving the wilderness to do so. YWQxYjBmNjljZmEzOTNlOTg4YTZiZmI4M2NkMzZmZTM0MGYzYjRlZmE2Zjk1 Most of this was within Africa itself, but as we have seen above, thousands of people were exported to North Africa and the Middle East each year. African societies were often fluid from one generation to another, however. Yet there is still debate about how many species of elephant bird there actually were. As the years went by they (or in some societies their entire age set) would move up the rungs to senior warrior, and then when they were thirty or so, to elder-hood. As such it was essentially a form of theatre. This was usually played communally, and noisily, in the open air, with plenty of noise. Except in favorable locations, especially where fishing, or gathering aquatic resources, could supplement diets, hunting and foraging groups needed a large area of land on which to sustain themselves. In contrast to all this, anthropologists found that the pygmies who inhabited the deep forests, and who relied for their survival on its produce, regarded the forests as innately good, and the lands surrounding it as fearful. To have children was essential to an individuals social standing, to their welfare in old age, to their survival as ancestors, and to their lineages existence as an independent group in competitive and often violent societies. OTBhNmZkZTE4ZDBjMTQzMTljMWY4NDIyMjYxZmIwY2JkZjc4OTk4ZGE1OWMx In matrilineal societies, in which which descent was traced through mothers, womens status could be particularly favored. The Political Structures of West African Colonies - Nicholas Barry Ancient Mali Social Hierarchy The Mali Empire was an ancient empire in West Africa between c.1230 to c.1600. However, it was also played in the more refined atmosphere of some royal courts, both in West Africa and East Africa, where the game formed part of a succession ritual. Ancient Egypt is arguably the most well-known of Africa's ancient civilizations. In East, Central and Southern Africa, the mix of staple crops varied from place to place according to environment, but normally included yams and sorghum, later supplemented by plantain. It is possible that in such cases systems of exchange were focussed on the palace, which acted as centers of redistribution. This is most marked in eastern, central and southern Africa during the second millennium CE, at the start of which population levels were at a very low level. Heredity counted for much, as in most societies, premodern and modern; passing status down from father to son was an important dynamic. Indeed, they even went on strike when a neighboring ruler attempted to convert them to Islam. Anthropologists have noted that much of the education of the young has involved attaining an incredibly detailed knowledge of soils and plants, and their properties. Like all pre-modern medicinal practitioners, they also used traditional methods less appealing to the modern Western mind, such as bleeding, purgatives, magic and exorcism. Between ten and fifty people might live here, sometimes much more, in a complex of houses forming one compound. In the social pyramid of ancient Egypt . The geography of Sub-Saharan Africa poses severe challenges to the rise and spread of pre-modern civilization. Social Structure - Ancient Africa - Kingdom of Axum - Weebly The Discipline of International Relations (IR) has been broadly Eurocentric since its inception about a century ago. Conditions in much of sub-Saharan Africa make wresting a secure subsistence from the land a major challenge. It has captivated visitors since it was built as a royal burial chamber some 4,500 years ago. Indigenous African belief systems have the oldest roots of any of the continent's religions. Most cultures preferred abstract and stylized forms of humans, plants, and animals, but they had a range of distinct approaches and techniques. Elsewhere, transport being limited to human porterage meant that there was little long-distance trade. Later, they faced competition from Hausa traders, who created an even more far flung network. From its territories, great civilizations have risen to glory. Ancient Africa for Kids: Traditional Religions - Ducksters Craft workers were often dedicated to meeting the needs of the ruler and the elite, their workshops located within the royal compound. The African History is a number one educational website that features General history of Africa which include Ancient & Pre-colonial Africa, Ancient African civilizations, Empires/Kingdoms, Great Ancient African rulers, African Culture, global black history and news. These more local groups formed the enduring units of African societies, centers of local power which provided the building blocks of larger polities, and outlasted them. These encompass the worship of gods, ancestors and spirits, and are based on an understanding that the spiritual infuses every aspect of daily life. Great Zimbabwe | World Civilization - Lumen Learning Its capital, Great Zimbabwe, is the largest stone structure in precolonial Southern Africa. The limited nature of urbanization greatly restricted transport, trade and industry. The Bantu, a large group of related peoples, originated along what is now the border between NIGERIA and CAMEROON and spread throughout central and southern Africa. In fact, cults involving rain shrines and weather gods might command the loyalty of people over a wide area, a form of worship practiced side-by-side with that concerning the spirits of the land. There was constant tension between the generations, which could spill over into real violence. Government and Economy. West Africa had the oldest, densest and most enduring urban tradition, with famous cities such as Timbuktu, Gao, Jenne and Kano. Explain the social structure, unique aspects, and decline of Great Zimbabwe . In many of the great kingdoms of Africa, administration was carried on entirely orally. In southern Africa the climate becomes temperate and Mediterranean. Ghana | historical West African empire | Britannica Underpopulation meant that disgruntled people could always seek new land beyond the reach of royal authority. It was they who provided the support and security needed to get by. Ancient West Africa: Bantu Migrations & the Stateless Society Other common maladies were hookworm anaemia, yaws, leprosy, smallpox and endemic syphilis (though not the more lethal venereal kind, which was only introduced into sub-Saharan Africa in the 16th century, after Europeans arrived). Except where influenced by Islam, most pre-modern sub-Saharan societies were non-literate. By the time they reached modern South Africa the dominant peoples were all pastoralists. The art of ancient African was just as diverse as its cultures, languages, and political structures. The contemporary political history of Africa is marked by imperialism, the expulsion of foreign powers and settler elites, and the post-independence travails of its roughly fifty states. YmNjNjY4NWM4MWUxYzhlYjFmYzIwMmNiMTBmZTA0OWZlNGQ4ZmI5MzNlNmMz Study compare and contrast nonfiction text structure with 6 short passages, questions, and graphic organizers about similar animals. In folktales, the rewards for perseverance, intelligence and courage were wives, children, status, wealth, and security in other words, to become a Big Man. Fear of witchcraft was particularly virulent in concentrated settlements where interpersonal tensions could be high. Throughout Africa the basic unit of society was the lineage-group, or clan. The greater number of people such a community embraced, the better it meant greater security for all, and more labour for the back-breaking work of keeping the bush at bay and clearing more land. Some states were created by rulers of village clusters who, through military prowess, were able to use their manpower to conquer other clusters. NmQ3NzU3NWZiNGRmMjNjOWYyMzgyNGI5NTRhMWYxMDU4YzQ3NDY5ZWFiYmU3 The usual form of marriage was through bride-wealth a groom exchanged a portion for his wealth to a brides family in order to marry her. Crafts were usually hereditary, and expertise was often a closely-guarded secret of particular kin-groups. Like the gold miners they were also hereditary, and in fact formed a distinct ethnic group within desert society. spracovanie papra podvanie vanika fiat doblo maxi 2015 prebva The culture,language and customs of this empire were greatly influenced by the culture of Western African cities and the people were divided into sects or sections based on their social standing. 7th-13th century). Africa Africa's Great Rift Valley is the largest landform on Earth, and the only one visible from the moon. The shores of these large bodies of water have been suitable for intensive agriculture, allowing some of Africas most notable kingdoms to flourish. Some towns specialized in a particular industry, such as leather-making, bead-making or metal-work, for which they were renowned over a large area. Click here to be redirected to our dedicated TimeMaps help section. Men who were spared death were set to work as laborers, miners or porters; or, if they had suitable skills, as craftsmen. However, state-building was not a straightforward process in African conditions. Throughout sub-Saharan Africa, this often took the form of inter-generational tensions between elder males with multiple wives and younger males with no wives. NjI4MDI2ZmM3ZTBmNTYxODBhNzFhOWVhY2RlY2YxZDc2ODQwYjlkMTdhZjE3 This wilderness was the abode of wild animals, fatal diseases, violent fugitives, evil spirits and other shadowy dangers which posed a constant threat to settled life. African societies and the beginning of the Atlantic slave trade Some of these village clusters would experience the next step of evolving into small chiefdoms; and groups of chiefdoms might eventually be united (usually by force) into a single kingdom. They also had a reputation for being independent-minded. OGRiMDc3NTM1M2QyZDI3YzBlYjZmZjBhNWFkOWZjYzEzOGRlZDU4ZDc4NDE1 Egyptians believed that the gods controlled the universe. MWZkZDVjMmYwOWFkODY0ZjRiZmVjNWQ3ZmIwYzIyOWVjYjk1MzNlNGE5OWU2 On the whole, though, anthropologist have emphasized the rational, experimental nature of African medicine. Religious and medical knowledge was interwoven, and was mysterious to the community at large (except in so far as the healing properties of many plants were commonly appreciated). Segmentary lineage societies are characterised by the foremost importance of kin relationships in determining individuals' social and political allegiances, as well as their patterns of residence.