Ancient Africa Facts & Worksheets

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The African continent is home to humanity’s origins, making it the world’s oldest inhabited land. Cattle were initially domesticated, and metallurgy was invented here. It has a long and illustrious history that can still be seen.

See the fact file below for more information on Ancient Africa or alternatively, you can download our 24-page Ancient Africa worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

Early Civilization

• The Khoi and San were the first people to settle in Africa. In 6000 BCE, the northern region of Africa was a hotbed of cattle domestication. 
• By 4000 BCE, however, desertification had forced farmers to migrate to western Africa, where the climate was ideal for farming.
• Metalworking began in North Africa and northern Sub-Saharan Africa in about the first millennium BCE. 
• Metalworking was established mainly in the west and east Africa by 500 BCE. Trans-Saharan trade was launched on the same date.
• The Pharaonic civilisation ruled Ancient Egypt from around 3300 BCE to 343 BCE.
• Their domain included modern Libya, Canaan, the kingdoms of Aksum and Nubia in the south, and northern Crete in the north.
• Alexander the Great established Alexandria in Egypt in 332 BCE.
• It became the Ptolemy dynasty’s thriving capital.
• Following that, the Roman Empire conquered the Mediterranean coast of northern Africa, effectively uniting their economic and cultural systems.
• The newly established Arabian Islamic Caliphate had scattered across Egypt and North Africa by the early seventh century.

Influential African Empires

• The Kingdom of Kush was an African regional power. It too was a trading partner and a military adversary of Egypt.
• According to Egyptian records, the Land of Punt was known as the Land of the Gods. It was abundant in ebony, gold, myrrh, and exotic animals. However, the location of this kingdom remained a mystery until recently.
• Carthage arose as a Phoenician settlement and controlled trades.
• During the Punic Wars, it was regarded as Ancient Rome’s most formidable foe.
• This kingdom’s influence spread to Spain and parts of the Mediterranean.
• The kingdom of Aksum was one of the first empires to accept Christianity, and its legacy can still be seen today in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.
• The Mali Empire was founded in the 1200s by Sundiata Keita, the Lion King. The empire conquered a large portion of West Africa under this ruler.
• The Songhai Empire is a West African kingdom that prospered due to trade policies and bureaucracy.
• Finally, there was Great Zimbabwe, which ruled over modern-day Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique.

Art of Ancient Africa

• Africa has a long history and a wide range of visual arts.
• However, because most ancient art was made of perishable materials, only a few pieces have survived.
• The earliest known sculptures, which had elongated bodies in West Africa, are from the Nok culture, which flourished in modern Nigeria between 500 BCE and 500 CE.
• The human figure has always been a central theme in African art, and this focus has impacted specific European customs.
• For instance, the Saltcellar in the 16th century was created by a Yoruba artist who wanted to depict a Portuguese man adorned with horses.
• Birds, snails, chameleons, and other natural parts of the earth are shown in great detail in the bronze of Igbo-Ukwu.
• The art of Africa also involved architecture.
• The prevalence of load-bearing construction in materials such as adobe and stone may be seen in ruins in places like Mali and Zimbabwe.
• Buildings made of perishable materials are still being erected or renovated in traditional designs in places like Mali and Igbo-Ukwu, providing a peek into the past.

Achievements in Science and Technology

• The development of basic math concepts and geometric formulas.
• The Stonehenge structure is a unique and accurate calendar.
• Metallurgy and tools include nails, steam engines, metal chisels, and carbon steel.
• Medicinal practices that use herbal plants to treat ailments such as pain and diarrhea.

Ancient Africa Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about Ancient Africa across 24 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets that are perfect for teaching about Ancient Africa has a long and illustrious history that can still be seen.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

• Ancient Africa Facts 
• Line of the Ancient
• Help from the Past
• Associate
• Art-i-Facts
• Undistant Match
• Don’t Squeeze-dom
• Civil Hunt
• Preservation
• African Masterpiece
• Legendary Legacy

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Link will appear as Ancient Africa Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, December 22, 2021