AFRI-L 231 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Benin Bronzes, Afroasiatic Languages
African Civilizations
Terms:
After: Latin term for a region of Africa that came to be applied to the entire continent
Tribu: Latin term for clan-based social group. Society where clans are dominant. (Center,
Romans=civilized. Outsiders, Germans=uncivilized)
*Africans knew their land but didn't know the exact size or shape of the land. It took 100 years to
pinpoint the shape of the land
Africa is not just one environment. Three key environments: 30% desert, 20% rainforest, 50% Savanna
(trees, grasslands, scrubs, living areas)
Get water from the Nile River, brings soil with it to allow for the growth of crops.
Much of the rainforest has been cut down for wood.
Some savannas have more trees and plants, others re more dy
• Africans
Europeans got gold from South Africa. It is an "insult" to use the word "tribe" because the word is
associated with being barbaric or uncivilized
African identity markers: language, family, social status, ethnicity
African language families: Khoi-San, Afro-Asiatic, Nilo-Saharan
• Family
Lineages (extended families), Clans (groups of lineages, recognizing common founding ancestor)
• Social Status- Social status depends on certain factors...
Occupational specializations: farming, herding, fishing, artisans. Original settlers and newcomers, rulers
and ruled, family/ family name=certain occupation. (Example: Blacksmith as a last name = Blacksmith as
an occupation)
Europeans stepped in and divided people into tribes, they used ethnicity to group people. No "tribes,"
but language groups instead.
Representations:
Ife terra cotta statue, Benin bronze statues, Portuguese invaded first
National geographic portrayed Africa as animals and uncivilized people, but that's different now and
shows more sides of Africa.
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
After: latin term for a region of africa that came to be applied to the entire continent. *africans knew their land but didn"t know the exact size or shape of the land. It took 100 years to pinpoint the shape of the land. Three key environments: 30% desert, 20% rainforest, 50% savanna (trees, grasslands, scrubs, living areas) Get water from the nile river, brings soil with it to allow for the growth of crops. Much of the rainforest has been cut down for wood. Some savannas have more trees and plants, others re more dy: africans. It is an insult to use the word tribe because the word is associated with being barbaric or uncivilized. African identity markers: language, family, social status, ethnicity. African language families: khoi-san, afro-asiatic, nilo-saharan: family. Lineages (extended families), clans (groups of lineages, recognizing common founding ancestor: social status- social status depends on certain factors
