AFAMAST 1121: African Civilizations to 1870
Study Sheet for Midterm
October 12, 2016
Part 1 of the exam will be fifteen (15) multiple choice questions based on class lectures and
readings available on Carmen and in the David Robinson book. Each question will be worth two
points. (There will not be any questions on Introduction to African Religion or Sundiata.)
For Part 2 of the exam, students will select seven identification terms from a list of ten. For each
term, students will be expected to identify the term, place it in the context of African history, and
explain its historical significance. Each identification will be worth 10 points. The ten terms on
the midterm will be taken from the following list of terms:
Oral Tradition
In African societies, oral tradition is the method in which history, stories, folktales and religious
beliefs are passed on from generation to generation. For the African people, oral tradition is
linked to their way of life. Most African societies place great worth in oral tradition because it is
a primary means of conveying culture. It is also a mode of transmitting feelings, and attitudes.
For centuries, African people depended upon oral tradition to teach the listener’s important
traditional values and morals pertaining to how to live. Oral tradition delivers explanations to the
mysteries of the universe and the meaning of life on earth. In African religion, it is the guiding
principle in which to make sense of the world. But oral tradition also has its weakness, it only
tells the lives of powerful people, but not ordinary people. Also oral tradition can be adjusted by
different political power; message can be changed over time (different people have different
points to focus on); and oral tradition only exits in powerful kingdoms.
Glottochronology
Glottochronology is that part of lexicostatistics dealing with the chronological relationship
between languages, it can also be simply referred as history of languages. Historians of Africa
have employed glottochronology as comparative study method to learn the historical linguistics.
Language groupings with higher cognate percentage are more closely related and diverged from
their linguistic ancestor more recently. Language groupings with lower cognate percentage are
less closely related and existed as one language at an earlier period in time. Glottochronology
helps historians identify the ancestors of African people and give some references of how African
people migrate.
The Maghreb
The Maghreb has the highest and most rugged mountains in North Africa. The largest plain area
lies along the Atlantic coast, and is sheltered by mountains to the north, east, and south. The
north and center enjoy a Mediterranean climate with hot summers and mild, rainy winters.
Further south, it is hotter and drier until the change to a desert climate is made. In summer, the
hot desert wind dries up everything before it. But the Atlantic coast has a more temperate
climate, with fresh breezes blowing in from the Canaries. The Maghreb has good agricultural
condition, and was mainly influenced by Europeans in the history.
Sahara Desert
The Sahara is the world’s largest hot desert and one of the harshest environments on the planet.
At 3.6 million square miles (9.4 million square kilometers), the Sahara, which is Arabic for “The
Great Desert,” engulfs most of North Africa. The Sahara’s northeasterly winds can reach
hurricane level and often give rise to sand storms and dust devils. Half of the Sahara receives less
than an inch of rain per year, and the rest receives up to 4 inches (10 centimeters) per year. The
infrequent rain is usually torrential. The Sahara has only two permanent rivers and a handful of
lakes, but it has substantial underground reservoirs, or aquifers. Its permanent rivers are the Nile
and the Niger. It is thought that the lack of water in Sahara Desert area may cause terrorists and
wars.
The Sahel
The Sahel is the Eco climatic and biogeographic zone of transition in Africa between the Sahara
to the north and the Sudan region to the south. Having a semi-arid climate, it stretches across the
south-central latitudes of Northern Africa between the Atlantic Ocean and the Red Sea. The
Arabic word literally means “shore, coast”, describing the appearance of the vegetation found in
the Sahel. The Sahel is the first instances of domestication of plants for agricultural purposes in
Africa in 5000 BC, when sorghum and African rice began to be cultivated. Around this time, and
in the same region, small Guinea fowl were domesticated. Around 4000 BC the climate of the
Sahara and the Sahel became drier at an exceedingly fast pace. This climate change caused lakes
and rivers to shrink rather significantly and caused increasing desertification. This, in turn,
decreased the amount of land conducive to settlements and caused migrations of farming
communities to the more humid climate of West Africa.
The Horn of Africa
The Horn of Africa is a large extension of land extends from the eastern edge of the continent of
Africa, lying between the Indian Ocean to the east and the Gulf of Aden to the north, jutting for
hundreds of kilometers into the Arabian Sea. The Horn of Africa is primarily distinguished
through a low lying arid plain called the Ethiopian Highlands, which is divided into two sections
by the Rift Valley. The two distinct sections of the Ethiopian Highlands form an area rich in
natural resources. While the habitat and plant environment has changed dramatically from its
original state, the Horn of Africa continues to contain a high level of native plant life. The
mountainous geography does not only provide with good agricultural environment, but also
serves as natural defense, the only country exists from the European colonial is Ethiopia.
The Great Lakes Region
The Great Lakes of Africa are a series of lakes in and around the Great Rift Valley. They include
Lake Victoria, the second largest fresh water lake in the world by area, and Lake Tanganyika, the
world’s second largest freshwater lake by volume and depth. The highlands are relatively cool,
with average temperatures in the mid-60s and abundant rainfall. Forests are dominant in the
lowlands, while grasslands and savannas are most common in the southern and eastern
highlands. Temperatures in the lowlands average a hot mid-90s. In history, the Great Lakes
Region has many powerful, highly centralized, wealthy kingdoms, including Uganda, the home
of slaves. The Great Lakes Regions are abundant of coffee, tea, cotton, tobacco and etc.
The Kalahari Desert
The Kalahari Desert is a large semi-arid sandy savanna in southern Africa extending 900,000
square kilometers, covering much of Botswana, parts of Namibia, and regions of South Africa.
Derived from the Tswana word Kgala, meaning “the great thirst”, meaning “a waterless place”,
the Kalahari Desert has vast areas covered by red sand without any permanent surface water. It is
known that initially residents are hunters and gathers.
Menes
Ancient tradition ascribed Menes the honor of having united Upper and Lower Egypt into a
single kingdom and becoming the first pharaoh of the First Dynasty. Menes was seen as a
founding figure for much of the history of ancient Egypt, similar to Romulus in ancient Rome.
According to some researches, Menes founded the city of Memphis as his capital after diverting
the course of the Nile through the construction of a levee. Menes had introduced the worship of
the gods and the practice of sacrifice as well as a more elegant and luxurious style of living.
Also, Menes was credited with being the inventor of writing in Egypt.
The Nile River Valley
The Nile River provided an endless source of fresh water, fertile soil, and food. The Nile would
flood each year starting in July and lasting until November. This flood would provide new, rich
soil for the Egyptians and would wash away waste. The seas around the civilization served a
barrier against war and disease. The inhabitants of the Nile River Valley Civilization depended
