Hi folks,
I've grown interested more and more about ancient Africa recently. We all hear about great empires/culture from Middle East, Europe, India, North Africa, etc. but barely about Africa under the Sahara. What attracts my attention right now is not Africa during the Middles Ages, but 100 AD and before.
I have read and heard of:
Nok Culture, a culture without story, but lots of pottery and sculpture right below the Sahara
Axum Empire that started out ~400 BC and was the most powerful true african nation on ancient ages and was closely in contact with Felix Arabia kingdoms.
Macrobian kingdom, a nation without real archeological proof and came to be known only through Herodotus
Punt nation, unlocalized yet.
What else? I can find more. Even though I admit Aksum "empire" is rather not a subsaharan nation just like the Nok Culture, I suppose they had african neighbours, right?
I suppose the lack of knowledge from ancient times Africa boils down to the fact they didn't generate some literacy to be read for future generations .The harsh climate and the lack of contacts (mainland routes in bandlands are harder for communication and knowledge "trickle down" than like, for instance, the Mediterranean Sea) thwarted african people to become "sophisticated" nations...or perhaps better said big nations of city-states at least.
Anyways, yeah, a confusing thread of mine. The question is: do you know some other old nations that prosper in BCE period or simply they were mostly hunter-gatherer with biggest hierarchy as chieftaincy.
I've grown interested more and more about ancient Africa recently. We all hear about great empires/culture from Middle East, Europe, India, North Africa, etc. but barely about Africa under the Sahara. What attracts my attention right now is not Africa during the Middles Ages, but 100 AD and before.
I have read and heard of:
Nok Culture, a culture without story, but lots of pottery and sculpture right below the Sahara
Axum Empire that started out ~400 BC and was the most powerful true african nation on ancient ages and was closely in contact with Felix Arabia kingdoms.
Macrobian kingdom, a nation without real archeological proof and came to be known only through Herodotus
Punt nation, unlocalized yet.
What else? I can find more. Even though I admit Aksum "empire" is rather not a subsaharan nation just like the Nok Culture, I suppose they had african neighbours, right?
I suppose the lack of knowledge from ancient times Africa boils down to the fact they didn't generate some literacy to be read for future generations .The harsh climate and the lack of contacts (mainland routes in bandlands are harder for communication and knowledge "trickle down" than like, for instance, the Mediterranean Sea) thwarted african people to become "sophisticated" nations...or perhaps better said big nations of city-states at least.
Anyways, yeah, a confusing thread of mine. The question is: do you know some other old nations that prosper in BCE period or simply they were mostly hunter-gatherer with biggest hierarchy as chieftaincy.