African civilizations

[crazyladybutterfly]

i will continue later

[Melki]

In 1884, during the Berlin Conference, the whole African continent was divided among European powers (Great Britain, France, Portugal, Italy, Germany, Spain and the Ottoman Empire).
This was the beginning of the so-called "scramble for Africa", an era of New Imperialism. Europeans were supposed to "bring civilization" to "swarthy backward peoples", just another pretext to steal their natural resources.

But Africans didn't need help from Europe to build prestigious (and sometimes long-lived civilizations).

Everybody knows the civilization of Ancient Egypt. But most of the world's population ignores everything about:
-The Nok culture (Nigeria - 8th Century BC - 9th Century AD)
-The Kingdom of Ghana (West Africa - 8-9th Century AD)
-The Kingdom of Mali (West Africa - 12-14th c.)
-Yorubaland (Nigeria - 12-19th c.)
-The Kingdom of Benin (West Africa - 13-19th c.)
-The Songhai Empire (West Africa - 14-16th c.)
-The Ashanti Empire (Ghana - 18-19th c.)
-The Sokoto Caliphate (West Africa - 19th c.)
-The Kanem-Bornu Empire (Lake Chad - 9-19th c.)
-The Kingdom of Mutapa (Zimbabwe - 11-17th c.)
-The Zulu Kingdom(South Africa - 19th c.)
-Last but not least, the powerful Ethiopian Empire.

[Dominicanese]

Egypt,Nubia and Sudan were the main civilizations in Africa...Kush Civilization and pyramids of Sudan

it looks so modern that to our eyes it looks like the future

these guys were def ahead of us now, cause they were working with nature and not against it

[KMack]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Nubian_language

Nubians were writing in the eight century before most Europeans. The earliest form of writing in Europe is the Greek alphabet in the late eight century which came from the Phoenicians.

8th Century BC

[LieDetector]

Africa does have a great history and it was because of NORTH AFRICANS.

[Peterski]

Ethiopians and other Horners are ~50% Eurasian (Caucasoid).

Please tell us about ~100% Negroid (Bantu etc.) civilizations.

Edit: And how about some Australian kingdoms and empires?

[Mingle]

Ethiopians and other Horners are ~50% Eurasian (Caucasoid).

Please tell us about ~100% Negroid (Bantu etc.) civilizations.

http://www.theapricity.com/forum/sho...=1#post4093415

http://www.theapricity.com/forum/sho...=1#post4093638

[Peterski]

Name one thing that each of those kingdoms and empires was famous for.

For example:

Zulu Kingdom, 19th century - famous for building one two-storey building.

Wait... Actually they did not build any two-storey buildings, AFAIK.

[Egyptian]

it looks so modern that to our eyes it looks like the future

these guys were def ahead of us now, cause they were working with nature and not against it

Ya , Sudan got some very nice monuments , but it's connected to Egypt (mainly the same shape but different design) , our Pyramids in Egypt were Huge and consisted of many floors , while Sudan pyramids were kinda small with small chambers , but inside of it were paintings same to Egyptian ones.

Sudan , Nubia and Egypt complete each others.

[Peterski]

How many (and which ones) of African civilizations fulfilled all - or the majority - of these criteria:

1) They have the knowledge of building in brick or stone, if the necessary materials are available in their territory.

2) At least few percent of them are urban population who live in towns or/and walled cities.

3) They exchange property by the use of money. There is long-distance trading, sale of goods and services.

4) They have a system of laws, accused ones can defend themselves and bring witnesses, punishments are proportional ("eye for an eye").

5) Their religious system includes also ethical and moral elements, it is not just purely or grossly superstitious.

6) They use a script to communicate ideas, they keep records and use things like counting boards, etc.

7) There is some facility in the abstract use of numbers (at least a start has been made in mathematics).

8) They use the scale, sundial clock, measures of length, a calendar accurate to within a few days in a year.

9) There is some appreciation of the fine arts and they build some monumental structures.

10) At least some part of the young population is enrolled in some sort of education.

11) There is some order and planning in their towns or cities. They use water storage, sewage system, etc.

12) They use irrigation or paddy fields. They use drainage. They use some crop rotation.

13) They know most or many of these materials: leather, glass, iron, copper, silver, zinc, lead, boron, tin, mercury, bronze, papyrus, pottery, linen, silk, cotton. They know technologies such as: the loom, knitting, smelting, metal casting, quarrying, mining.

14) They practice some sort of recreation and sports: such as for example racing or board games.

15) Transportation: they know the sail, the anchor, pack animals, wheeled vehicles or sledges.

16) Transport infrastructure: they know how to build roads, bridges, canals, tunnels, harbors.

17) Basic medicine: they use opiates, herbal pharmaceuticals, basic surgery, medical training.

18) Governance: there is separation of secular from religious leadership, there is separation of military and civil powers, some complex administrative systems, some hierarchical structures, they the knowledge of mapping (nbasic cartography).

19) Non-agricultural production: there is some specialization of labor and some cottage industries.

20) They have some sciences like Astronomy and Philosophy, etc. They have some Literature.