Ancient African Civilizations

Catalog description

Provides an intensive examination of humans and society in ancient Africa, stretching back to humankind’s evolution and including an analysis of early forms of African state formations. Ancient Africa is cut off from the period of European presence in Africa, marked by the beginnings of the Atlantic Slave Trade. The course features the following themes and topics: (1) Prehistoric ancient Africa; (2) the desiccation of the Sahara and its consequences; (3) Africa and Mediterranean civilizations; (4) Coptic Christianity and the early history of Christianity; (5) Islam and its brush with Christianity in ancient Africa; (6) Africa’s ancient state formations; (7) the impact of Arab invasion and occupation on ancient African state formations; (8) the Bantu migration hypothesis; and (9) the mystery of the Great Zimbabwe’s. All of these lead to an examination of the dynamics of civilizations in ancient Africa, including their failed forms, using Arnold Toynbee’s perspectives on the rise and fall of civilizations as a theoretical point of departure. This course is the same as