296 CHAPTER 10

The First HumansThe roots of the Bantus can be traced back thousands ofyears. Fossil evidence shows that the first known humanslived in Africa several million years ago. Paleontologists,or scientists who study fossils, have discovered humanremains in Kenya, South Africa, and other Africannations. Fossilized human footprints 3.6 million yearsold have been found in Tanzania. It is now known thathumans in Africa were the first to develop language,tools, and culture. Then, over tens of thousands of years,they migrated to other continents.

TERMS & NAMESpaleontologistBantu migrationMansa Musa

Africa south of the Sahara has a rich and significant history.

Many scientists think Africa southof the Sahara is the cradle of the human race. The oldest fossilremains of humans have come from this region.

MAIN IDEA WHY IT MATTERS NOW

SOUTHERN AFRICA, A.D. 500—There is

a group of newcomers in the area.

They come from the north and speak

languages unlike ours. Instead of

hunting in the forests as we do, they

raise animals for food. They plant

grain in fields near their settlement.

The newcomers, who call them-

selves “Bantu,” have sharp spears

and blades made of a cold, dark

metal. They use a short, sharp metal

tool for digging—much better than

our stone and wood tools. Many of

our people have begun to trade

goods for the newcomers’ fine tools

and pottery.

African Cultures and Empires

Movement • This woman is one of many

Bantu who have settled in southern

Africa. �

African Cultures and Empires

TAKING NOTES

colonization

independence

Causes EffectsProcesses

Use your chart to take notes about Africa Southof the Sahara.

Early African FarmersThe first humans lived in small groups. Forfood, they collected berries, plants, and nutsand hunted wild animals. As plants and ani-mals became scarce in one place, the peoplemoved on. During this time, a group known asBantu lived in what is now Cameroon. Around5,000 years ago, the Bantu became farmersinstead of hunter-gatherers. They learned togrow grain and herd cattle, sheep, and otheranimals. Later, they learned how to work withiron to make tools and weapons.

On the Move The Bantu began to move toother parts of Africa around 1000 B.C. Perhapsthe desert was spreading, or they needed moreland for a growing population. For about 2,000 years, the Bantugradually spread across the continent. Their great movement iscalled the Bantu migration. In their new homes, they learned togrow and use different plants. In some places, the native hunter-gatherers lived in separate villages or moved away, as did the Sans,or Bushmen. In other places, the Bantu and the local people, suchas the Pygmies, intermarried. Over time, the Bantu culturebecame widespread throughout Africa. Today, many Africansspeak Swahili, Zulu, and other Bantu languages.

A. RecognizingEffects How did the Bantumigrationinfluence thecharacter of Africa south ofthe Sahara?

INDIANOCEANATLANTIC

OCEAN

LakeVictoria

LakeMalawi

Congo River

Zambezi River

Equator

40°E 60°E0°20°W

Tropic of Capricorn

OriginalBantu Area

0

0 500 1,000 kilometers

500 1,000 miles

Bantu migration, c. 500 B.C.

Bantu migration, date unknown(between 500 B.C. and A.D. 500)

Bantu migration, after A.D. 500

Bantu migration, after A.D. 1000

N

2,000 Years of Bantu Migration

GEOGRAPHYSKILLBUILDER:Interpreting a Map1. Place • Use the Unit

Atlas map on page 280and this map to nametwo countries in whichthe Bantu people lived c. 500 B.C.

2. Region • About howmany miles from east towest did the area of theBantu migration measureafter A.D. 1000?

Culture • Theseheaddresses represent Tyi Wara—anantelope spiritwho, according toBantu mythology,taught the firstpeople how togrow crops. �

Africa South of the Sahara: Geography and History 297

Trade NetworksEventually, the Bantu built permanent villages.Trade routes beganto develop between these communities across Africa.

The Salt Trade Salt was as precious to ancient Africans as goldand diamonds. People needed salt each day to stay alive. They alsoused it to preserve food. However, most of Africa south of theSahara had no salt deposits. The closest source was in the Sahara,where giant salt slabs, some as heavy as 200 pounds, were mined.A vast trade network developed between the salt mines and thearea south of the Sahara. To get salt, people in southern Africatraded gold, slaves, ivory, and cola nuts.

Camels and Caravans African trade expanded even furtherwhen the Arabian camel was introduced to Africa in the A.D.600s. Camels are well adapted for long treks across the desert.Using camels, salt traders could carry goods from the savannasand forests across the desert to Northern Africa. There theytraded for goods from Europe and Asia, such as glass from Italyor cotton and spices from India. The desert trade was profitablebut risky. Robbers lived in the desert. For protection, traders trav-eled together in caravans.

Salt cakes wereused as currency inancient Ethiopia.

Place •Adapted totheir desertenvironment,camels candrink up to 20gallons ofwater in 10minutes andstore it in theirbloodstream. �

Long, thin legs have powerfulmuscles; a camel can walk 25miles in a day and carry 330pounds of cargo.

Fur-lined earsfilter out sand.

A large mouth, 34sharp teeth, and atough mouth liningenable the camel toeat thorn bushes.

The fat-filled hump provides many days’worth of energy.

Broad, flat feetdon’t sink into the sand.

A double rowof long, curlyeyelasheskeeps sand out of eyes,and bushyeyebrowsshield eyesfrom the sun.

Why Camels Are Well Adapted to Desert Travel

An Empire Built by TradeIn the fourth century A.D., a kingdom calledGhana arose in the Niger River Valley.Ancient Ghana’s location allowed it to controltrade between northern and southern Africa.Traders had to pay a tax in gold nuggets topass through the kingdom on their way toEurope and Southwest Asia. In addition,ancient Ghana had many gold mines. Ghanahad so much gold from these two sources thatthe kingdom was called the Land of Gold.

People eagerly traded gold for other preciousitems, such as salt. The merchants of Ghana alsotraded gold and slaves for cooking utensils, cloth,jewelry, copper, and weapons.

The Mali EmpireMuslim armies began a war withGhana in 1054. The fighting con-tinued for many years and inter-fered with the trade upon whichGhana depended. This weakenedthe empire. By the 1200s, the peo-ple under Ghana’s rule began tobreak away.

Mali Absorbs Ghana Around 1235,a Muslim leader named Sundiataunited warring tribes. He thenbrought neighboring states underhis rule to create the Mali Empire.In the year 1240, he took control ofwhat was left of the Ghana Empire.The Mali Empire included most ofthe area that Ghana had ruled,along with lands to the east.

Africa South of the Sahara: Geography and History 299

Human-Environment Interaction •This 18th- or 19th-century goldjewelry from Ghana wasprobably worn by members ofan Ashanti king’s court. �

Culture • This daughter of a Fanti chief continues a long tradition of Ghanian royaltyby wearing gold jewelry and ornaments. �

B. SynthesizingWhy was Ghanacalled the Land of Gold?

300 CHAPTER 10

It controlled trade routes across the Saharaand from the south, as well as along theNiger River. Many rulers and people ofMali became Muslims but still continuedto practice their traditional religions, too.

Mali’s Golden Age Mansa Musa ruledMali from about 1312 to 1332. Under hisrule, Mali expanded and flourished. In 1324,he made a religious pilgrimage to Mecca inArabia. During his journey, he persuaded Muslim scholars andartisans to return to Mali with him. Timbuktu, Mali’s major city,became a cultural center. Architects built beautiful mosques in andaround the city. Scholars brought their knowledge of Islamic law,astronomy, medicine, and mathematics. Universities in severalWest African cities became centers of Islamic education.

The Songhai EmpireMali’s power declined after Mansa Musa’s death in 1337.Eventually, Mali was conquered by nearby Songhai. Like Maliand Ghana had in the past, Songhai controlled trade across theSahara. It ruled neighboring states, and by the early 1500s waslarger than Mali had been. Timbuktu again became a center ofMuslim culture. In the early 1590s, a Moroccan army defeated

Culture • Mansa(emperor) Musaspread interestin Mali as hetraveled toArabia. Tales of his wealthreached as far away asEurope. �

Make a diorama showing a camel caravan traveling through the Sahara, carrying saltto people in southern Africa.

SECTION ASSESSMENT

Using Graphics2. Use a time line like this one to list

important events in this region’shistory.

Main Ideas3. (a) How did the introduction of

the camel influence trade inancient Africa?

(b) What were the two most valuable minerals in ancientGhana? Why?

(c) How did a location in the Niger River valley help empiresflourish?

Critical Thinking4. Recognizing Effects

What were the effects of MansaMusa’s pilgrimage on Mali?

Think About◆ who came to Mali after the

pilgrimage◆ what changes occurred in the

culture of Mali

Terms & Names1. Explain the significance of: (a) paleontologist (b) Bantu migration (c) Mansa Musa

1000 B.C.

A.D. 1600