Around the 1st millennium BC, ironworking, which had appeared on the continent in the 3rd millennium BC, spread rapidly to North Africa and the northern part of sub-Saharan Africa. By 700 BC, ironworking was commonplace in West Africa. Copper objects from Egypt, North Africa, Nubia, and Ethiopia have been discovered in West Africa dating back to 500 BC, suggesting the existence of trans-Saharan trade at that time.
Ancient Civilizations
Overview of ancient civilizations in Africa
Nilotic Area and First Sub-Saharan Civilizations
Geographical area of the Nok culture. The Kingdom of Kush at its greatest extent (c. 700 BC)
Around 3250 BC, the historical era began with the emergence of writing in the pharaonic civilization of ancient Egypt. This emergence is probably linked to the high concentration of population and the degree of political organization that resulted from it. At this time, the other settlement areas of the continent were much less dense, which did not lead to the same needs in terms of social organization.
The Kingdom of Kush at its greatest extent (c. 700 BC)
Egyptian civilization is one of the oldest and most enduring, lasting until 343 AD. Egyptian influence was deeply felt in the territories that correspond to modern Libya, to the north of Crete and Canaan, and to the south, in the contemporary kingdoms of Kush (Nubia) and Aksum (present-day Ethiopia) in particular.
Further south of Egypt, in what is now Nigeria, the Nok culture developed around 1500 BC, one of the oldest cultures in sub-Saharan Africa. It is known for its terracotta pottery and for its use of both lithic tools from the Later Stone Age and iron tools, highlighting the transition to the Iron Age. It disappeared abruptly shortly after the beginning of the Christian era, around 200 or 300 AD. However, it had descendants, notably artistic, through, for example, the civilization of Ife, whose eponymous city was populated from the 6th century BC.
For more information :
- https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portail:Afrique
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Africa
- https://africacenter.org/
- https://journals.openedition.org/etudesafricaines/
- https://etudes-africaines.cnrs.fr/
- https://journals.openedition.org/etudesafricaines/
- https://www.afdb.org/fr/documents-publications/economic-perspectives-en-afrique-2024
