Southern Africa

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Topic 22 Complex Society in Africa

• Egyptian Civilization

• Nubia, Meroe Aksum

• West Africa

• Southern Africa

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Egyptian Civilization
5000 30 BC
Predynastic 5000 - 3100 BC
Dynastic 3100 - 30 BC
dating errors in text Table 10.1!
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Pre-dynastic Period
4000 - 3100 BC

• consolidation into two regions

Upper Lower Egypt

• low level chiefdoms

• rudimentary hieroglyphic writing

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Dynastic Chronology (BC)
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Settlement System

• territorial state

• not highly urbanized

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Monumental Architecture

• palaces

• temples

• burial monuments

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Occupational Specialization

• peasant farmers

• artisans

• artists scribes

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Differential Mortuary Practices

• ostentatious e.g. pyramids

• hidden e.g., Valley of the Kings

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Record Keeping

• hieroglyphic sacred

• hieratic economic

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Archaic (Early Dynastic)
3100 - 2575 BC

• unification of Upper Lower Egypt

• Pharaoh Narmer/Menes

• writing - hieroglyphs

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• skilled specialists

• no large urban centres

• no large bureaucracy

• chiefdom?

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Old Kingdom
2575 - 2134 BC

• full state level

• strict social hierarchy

• urbanization - Memphis

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• monumental architecture

e.g., Pyramids of Giza

• differential mortuary practices

• writing hieroglyphic cursive

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First Intermediate
2134 - 2040 BC
separation into rival states
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Middle Kingdom
2040 - 1640 BC
'Classical' period
reunification of Upper Lower Egypt
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Middle Kingdom

• strict social hierarchy

• capital at Thebes

• irrigation systems maintained expanded

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Second Intermediate
1640 - 1530 BC

• separation into rival states

• Hyksos in Lower Nile

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New Kingdom
1530 - 1075 BC

• re-unification

• expulsion of Hyksos

• military expansion to empire

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New Kingdom

• monumental architecture

• e.g., large temples

• strict social hierarchy

• Valley of the Kings

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Famous NK Egyptians
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Late Period
1075 - 30 BC
Ptolemys
Cleopatra
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Non-Egyptian Complex Societies in Northeast Africa
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West Africa
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Zimbabwe
AD 1100 - 1500

• Karanga kingdom

• monumental architecture

• Great Zimbabwe

• trade