UNIT 5 Africa

Early Habitation

12,000 BCE

There were a number of stone artifacts that included projectile points, segments, cores, flakes, and unmodified waste that were found at around 1982. They have gathered information that these artifacts may have been used by hunters, and they are estimated to have been made at around the late stone age from 12,000-3,000 BCE. While there is evidence of people finding artifacts from a while back, there are picks, choppers, hand-axes from the middle stone age speculated to be from 40,000 years ago.

Agricultural Revolution

8000 BCE

In 8000 BCE, there was an economic revolution, and it caused great change in all of Africa. The desert was expanding down south, causing food sources and gathering to change. People in Central Africa specifically had to change how they were hunting and were farming. Gathers then settled around the Great Lakes in Central Africa. Lots of different people had to also move to the Central Lakes, and they had to change their ways of life significantly.

Neolithic Revolution

5000 BCE

The Neolithic Revolution was the time of hunting and gathering. They gathered from the trees around them and animals. This was their peak, because they did lots of farming and trading. At this time, the various plants and animals were running low, and thats when they started domestication. This is also when they built up villages and towns. During this era is the activities they had were making pottery, making polished stones, and making rectangular houses.

Forrest Regression

3000 BCE

At around 3000 BCE through 2000 BCE, there was an incredible amount of forest regression. Their used to be strong monsoons in Africa. The strong monsoons started to decline at around 3500 BCE, and the environment had to adapt. Pollen profiles show that humid forest trees were eventually replaced by light demanding trees. There is palynological and geochemical data and diatoms at the site Mbalang within Cameroon showing major environmental change from 3200 years BCE.

Fish-stew Revolution+Agricultural Revolution

3000 BCE

A little bit before 3000 BCE, the fish-stew revolution was founded, and thats when some of the groups settled and started to farm. The fish-stew revolution and agricultural decided to combine together, and thats how fishing started.this is when fishing become more structured. They also traded quite a bit.They traded in fancy pots called "ceramic" pots, or terracotta pots. The pots were made out of clay and used to be dried in the very hot, hot sun.

Bantu migrants reached Central African Lakes

2500 BCE

In 2500 BCE, Bantu migrants reached the Great Lakes Region of Central Africa, and they settled in near by areas. Their iron tools improved agriculture greatly and iron tools made their military might great. They traded salt, copper, and iron ore for other nessecary materials. They continued to expand through Central Africa, and then down south through to South Africa and East Africa. The Bantu's new technologies lead to a more sophisticated societies in Central and West Africa.

The Iron Age

1000 BCE

At around 3000 years ago, or around 1000 BCE, the iron started to develop more in Africa. Ironworking was a skill that spread from community to community as the superiority of metal tools and weapons came to be recognized. The northwest is the first source of iron smelting with digging pit furnaces, and the second source is from the middle valley of the Nile. Their methods of producing iron became more and more advanced which resulted in razors, needless, and knives.

Sao Empire Rises

600 BCE

In 600th Century BCE, the Sao empire rose. They flourish from them on in Central Africa, and continued to flourish until the 16th century CE. It is not clear as to why the Sao Empire fell. There is extremely little imformation about the Sao Empire. This is because there is almost no written records from their people. They lived along the Charm River, which is located south of Lake Chad. The term 'Sao' means more than the empire, and refers to most of the people who were conquered in that area.

CE Kanem Empire Becoming an Independent Kingdom

801

The Kanem Bornu Empire was centered in Lake Chad, and the Kanem Empire became the independent kingdom of Bornu in the 9th century CE. Their independence was due to them having the power of their trading route. The Kanem Empire then compassed an area covering Chad, but also parts of modern eastern Niger, northeastern Nigeria, northern Cameroon and parts of South Sudan. With the Saharan trade route. Slaves were imported from the south along this route.

CE The Kanem Salt Trade

1000

Salt was one of the earliest goods traded in Africa, because it preserved food. The salt mines of the Sahara provided a staple commodity in the African caravan trade.The salt was important to the African people because the climate was hot and their bodies needed the salt to survive. The Kanem also traded many other things like clothes, but salt was what made them powerful. Salt trade had a big impact on the Kanem who grew wealthy and also a higher status.