Thread for posting things related to sub-saharan african history. Can include Culture, Lifestyle, and Urbanism. I will start with this:
Coat of arms of the Kingdom of Kongo, issued to King Afonso I.
African History Thread
1 min to readGreat books to read on African history are
Lost Cities of Africa by Basil Davidson
When We Ruled by Robin Walker
Basil Davidson also did a tv series on his book
Robin Walker also did some lectures
Lost libraries of Timbuktu
African People in World History by John Henrik Clarke
The Destruction of Black Civilization by Chancellor Williams
African Art
Ifa Sculptures
Benin sculptures
Africans sailed to the Americas in 1311
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/1068950.stm
Empire of Benin
Ivory carved spoon of entangled crocodile and serpent, Sapi peoples, Sierra Leone 1490-1530.
The use of snakes can be seen amongst other Sapi - Ivory works such as salt cellars thus it is likely snakes meant of some importance to the coastal Ivory carvers.
Ivory carved spoon of entangled crocodile and serpent, Sapi peoples, Sierra Leone 1490-1530.
I'm thinking that the serpent is an allusion to Satanism.
Here's a recent painting of the last king of Jolof - Alboury Ndiaye - painted in 2022.
Manuscript on Bamilike architecture written in Njoya's script.early 20th century, Bamum Kingdom, Cameroon
-Quai Branly
18th-century astronomical manuscript from Gao, Mali.
Hello there Sahelian. I'm interested in information about the pagan/pre Islamic beliefs of Songhai, Sorko, Bozo peoples. Do you have any sources?
Hello there Sahelian. I'm interested in information about the pagan/pre Islamic beliefs of Songhai, Sorko, Bozo peoples. Do you have any sources?
Jean Rouch is probably your best source there.
Usage of antibiotics in Ancient Nubian beer. A common practice 2,000 years ago way before its official discovery in 1928 with penicillin.
Base slab for giant Aksumite statue. It appears that some impressive statues were erected in the Aksumite civilization.
“if it represented a complete upright human figure as the positioning of the feet would suggest was between 5.5 and 6.0 m tall. No other metal statues of this age are known to have approached this size anywhere in the world”
“we have raised statues, one of gold, another of silver, and three of bronze, to His glory.”“Cosmas tells us that he saw "four bronze statues' of unicorns (no doubt rhinoceroses) 'in the royal palace.”
My sources:
