The Histories

By sascha schiller

A description of the evolution of humanoids since the first tool makers to the current era of man

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Mar 11, 2021
• ISBN: 9781008989078

Book preview

Human Saga-the ages of man

AFRICA

FARMING COMMUNITIES OF AFRICA 9000-2000BC

With the melting of the sheets of ice water existed for the rain to fall, improving conditions in the Sahara so that groups of humanoids could move back from south and north. Scrubby woodland on high ground and grasslands around the edge of the desert attracted wildlife. Rock carving and paintings show rhinoceroses, hippopotamuses, elephants and giraffes from about 85,000 BC, were all hunted for their pelts skins and flesh "meat.

Around 6,000 BC the desert was at its tiniest with enough moisture for lakes and during this era it is believed they hunted hippo from their canoes, as rock paintings entail.

Rock paintings from this era show humanoids herding cattle and archaeologists found domesticated remains of cattle in the Sahara at several locations. These sites are dated 6,500 and 4,000 BC.

It is believed other animals like the giraffe were also domesticated unsuccessfully as rock carvings show depict this. Grasslands not only provided a source of energy to animals but for humanoids also. Examples include millet and sorghum grains.

They harvested these sources of energy using wood and flint sickles and by 6,000 BC they were being cultivated. It was during this era permanent settlements by Sahara lakes and rivers popped up. They produced and decorated their pottery and ate fish, crocodiles and hippos.

Around 4,000 BC a dry period occurred, lakes disappeared and grasslands withered. While animals migrated and some became extinct, rock art shows camels and other desert animals return to the area around 3,000 BC as the desert expanded.

As the desert grew, humanoids returned to their nomadic life searching for water sustaining them and their cattle.

In 2,000 BC the sahara grew to the size of today, separating the Mediterranean coast of north Africa from the rest of the continent. This separation led to the two parts of Africa developing and evolving differently, and only traders joined these two parts together.

KINGDOM OF KUSH AND NUBIA 2000 BC to 400 AD

Nubia is located south of Egypt on the Nile river. Even though surrounded by desert the lands along the Nile remained fertile from annual floods and the silt they deposited.

Egyptian tomb paintings show Nubians were ethnically black Africans and were described as tall and strong.

The Egyptian Civilisation reached Nubia by 2,000 BC at a time when Kush was developing. Its capital was Napata where trade flourished as Kush supplied large amounts of gold to Egypt along with fruits, animals and ivory. Various Nubians due to their strong physic were sought after in the Egyptian army. In the 15th Century BC the Egyptian viceroy ruled Nubia. During the Egyptian decline at the end of the new kingdom Kush increased in power and might and by 750 BC the Kushite army defeated Egypt at Memphis. Ending in Kushite rulers starting the 25th dynasty of pharaohs, it lasted till 663 BC when Egypt was conquered by Assyrians and the Kushites returned to Napata.

Cirra 600 BC the capital changed further south to Menroe, knowledge of iron working from Egypt and Meroe surrounded by iron ore quickly grew in wealth. In 500 BC it was a city of mud brick houses built around royal temples and pyramid tombs. Of importance was a temple of Amun the Egyptian sun god and later ones dedicated to their own gods such as Marduk. Meroe had trade links to Arabia via red sea ports and the Meditterranean via the Nile.

As Egypt declined hieroglyphs were replaced by Nubian alphabet not yet translated. Their independence remained even after Egypts conquest by Rome in 30 BC, by 400 AD their power

waned.

THE BANTU SPEAKERS AND NOK

Culture of 400 BC to 500 AD

Cirra 400 BC ironwork knowledge reached the Nok people of northern Nigeria, possibly from the Meroe capital of Kush or maybe from Mediterranean traders crossing the sahara.

Around 1800BC village communities of farmers located in west Africa. In Ghana archaeologists found houses of rectangular shape and thatched roof and daub walls of wattle.

The humanoids of this area grew yams, oil palms and kept cattle and goats. Their weapons and tools were made of wood, bone and stone. Their technology being not effective meant that farming took place at a very small and slow scale.

When the people of Nok reached the iron age their tools became stronger, efficient and replacable and made farming more successful.

Iron headed axes meant they could clear more land for farming while using timber for building and fuel. A hack slash and burn method was used to fertilize the soil for the raining seasons and the planting.

The technological advances in farming led to a flourish of Nok culture between 400 BC and 200AD. Sculptors also became very skilled during this era.

During the 1st century AD a new group of people from the west integrated into the land of Nok. They spoke a language called Bantu and were made up of farmers. These humanoids moved south to east across the continent searching for hospitable land. From passing through the land of Nok they learned skills in metalwork and farming, introducing these skills to places occupied by hunter gatherers.

In AD 500 they reached southern Africa and lived in villages cultivating crops of cerial and herded goats, sheep and cattle. Smelting iron and making pottery. The Bantu settled in areas suitable for farms leaving rainforests to the Pygmies and the Kalahari desert to Bushmen.

KINGDOM OF AXUM 500 BC to 600AD

In Ethiopia the kingdom of Axum began to rise during the first Millenium BC through trade. Wealth was gained with the building of ports its main at Adulis on the Red Sea. During this era Arabia influenced the area and in the 5th Century BC its languages and writing was developed from Arabia.

During the 4th      Century the Greeks influenced the region through Egypt during the trade from Ptolemaic era passing through Adulis on way to India. Goods traded were mainly ivory, gold, slaves, wine, animals, precious stones including monkeys and elephants.

During the beginning of the 1st Century AD the strength and wealth of Axums grew. A line of strong kings came to power with an emperor in Axum.

The kings received taxes and paid tribute and paid tribute to the emperor during this era technological advances occurred with a monsoon wind system increasing the success of sailors traveling between the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean. People also traded overland as far as china, and changed ships at various ports they traded silk from China, frankincense and myrrh from Arabia, spices from India, and oil from the Mediterranean spices were essentially used to preserve meats and make them taste good. Frankinsense was used for religious purposes while myrrh was used for perfumes, cosmetics and medicine.

During the 4th Century AD Christianity was introduced to Axum from the Mediterranean and was a major religion of Ethiopia well into the 20th Century. During this time also skilled stonemasons erected granite stelae and obelisks of gigantic proportions to show the countrys growing power and wealth. They included pre-christian gods of the moon, war and sacrafice.

During the 6th Century investors from Axum were so wealthy they took control of the growers of

francincense and myrrh in western Arabia.

CARTHAGE THE RISE AND FALL 750 BC-698 AD

A wealthy centre of trade it was one of the greatest cities of ancient times. Situated in a peninsula of north Africa near present Tunis in Tunisia it was a colony founded by Phoenician seamen. Its function was a trade and shipping outpost, its name carthage called in Phoenician Karthadasht meaning new city. In classical legent the daughter of Tyre's king Dido founded Carthage and trajically fell in love with Aenas a Trojan prince whose family founded Rome in the Virgil's poem Aeneid. It grew at a rapid rate due to its strategic situation and having two high tech harbours which could protect and hold hundreds of millitary vessels. Having inner and outer fortress called Byrsa Carthage was the first city state to controll an empire boasting controll over western north Africa, southern Spain, Sardinia, Corsica and west Sicily. Though they conquered these territorys they were most interested in securing trade rather than establishing a ruling class. Traditionally it is believed colonists from Tyre founded Carthage in 814 BC but archaeology has revealed it was settled as early as 750 BC. With attacks on Phoenician settlements by the Assyrians and Babylonians Carthage became independent cirra 600 BC and became a leader in the Phoenician territorys. This brought tension with the Greeks in Sicily and they fought for domination of this strategic trading island. Entering an alliance with the Etruscans who lived in northern central Italy but due to their weakening in 500 BC the Greeks crushed the Carthagenians in Sicily in 480 BC.

Due to this defeat the Phoenicians in the east could not get help to take part in the invasion of Greece by the Persians. After this Carthage went through a period of decline due to isolation, their rule changed from one manto a few oligarchy. There was a citizen assembly but the sufets magistrates held real sway along with the generals and the noble council. They expanded into Sicily again in 410 BC and ruled there. 265 BC saw Rome wanting Sicily beginning the Punic wars consisting in these battles from 264 to 241, 218 to 201 and 149 to 146 BC of which Carthage lost. The governor Hannibal nearly won the second war but was destroyed in the third. Carthage later became a vital city under the koman empire even st Augustine lived there. Carthage was overrun by Vandals in 430 AD and destroyed by the Arabs in 698 AD.

EGYPT

during the middle of July to October the Nile river flooded on a yearly basis leaving silt on the banks where crops could grow spawning the birth of the Egyptian civilisation. The communities were made up of two separate states and by the fourth millenium BC ruled by kings called lower Egypt in the northern Delta and upper Egypt in the south. Cirra 3100 BC king Menes of upper Egypt conquered the lower and united the two kingdoms. After this conquest we can look at Egyptian history as divided into three periods the old, middle and new kingdom. Thanks to archaeologists we can piece together how they lived and appreciate their strange beliefs in art hereafter.

ANCIENT EGYPT OF THE NEW KINGDOM

from 3100 to 2040 BC

After the unification of Egypt under Menes cirra 3100 BC, the country had abundant sunshine and fertile soil by the nile riverbank. The natives planted flax to make linen wheat and barley to make beer. They also hunted wild folwl in marshes while picking wild fruit and vegetables.

Memphis became the capital of Egypt under Menes and from there he ruled with the aid of 42 nomarchs who in turn ruled a province in his return.

With the growing of cities and central authority writing was encouraged by the government by

using sheets of papyrus.

During this time studies of the Nile made it a science in predicting floods and a system of irrigation was devised. A text book on human anatomy and sergical tequniques was written and king Menes dynasty's rule is also recorded as the archaic period of old middle and new kingdom periods with intermediary periods.

In 2575 BC the old kingdom started with the 4th Dynasty. During this period belief in an afterlife became a part of their religion with the king being thought to have a life after death. It was during this time that flat topped tombs to hold the nobles were built. These mastabes were succeeded by step sided pyramids and then the smooth sided pyramids.

The Egyptian panthenon had many different gods to worship, the main one being re the sun god known as the creator with his temple in Heliopolis. This old kingdom era lasted for 400 years till a period of low floods led to famine and draught a time when the nomarchs became too powerful and in 2134 BC the old kingdom collapsed and Egypt split into two provinces once more.

NEW KINGDOM 2040-1550 BC

The new kingdom started in 2040 BC with king Mentuh of the 11th dynasty reuniting egypt. This capital was at Thebes followed by a new royal capital built by his successors at El Lisht. With the help of civil servants the 11th and 12th dynastys regained power over the nomarchs. During this era Nubia was conquered to secure trade along the Nile with the middle East and eastern Meditterranean.

Unlike the old kingdom with emphasis on respect of tradition and elders the middle kingdom valued fairness and justice even so pharoahs rule was absolute and this consistent peace brought a time of peace and wealth in trade and art literature and crafts did well.

Worshippers of a number of different gods eventuated and temples to Osiris god of the underworld as well of being god of spring he also was god of the afterlife and people were mummified in death. The collapse of the middle kingdom happened in 1640 BC, when the Hykos invaded lower Egypt from Canaan. The invaders introduced new weapons of bronze, spinning and weaving tequniques, horse drawn chaiots as well as lynes and lutes.

NEW KINGDOM 1532-1070 BC

A golden age known as the new kingdom happened in 1532 BC when the 18th dynasty pharoah Ahmose defeated the Hyksos reuniting Egypt with a new determination to make an empire. They conquered lands west of the Euphrates river with Palestine and Syria, this led to rich gifts and tributes pouring into Egypt, and many temples were built while the age old practice of burying pharoahs in pyramids was abandoned and they were entomed underground in the valley of the kings.

Pharoah did as he pleased as everyone belonged to him and he was obeyed, one pharoah took advantage of this by changing the beliefs of the people. His name was Akhenaten who changed his name from Amenhotep introducing worship of the Aten or the sun, he revolutionised the country by making people abandon the old gods. He made a new capital at El Amarna and used all the wealth of the old temples in doing so.

His reforms were unpopular and after he died Tutankhamunn re-established the old gods and their capital at Thebes. Despite the wealth of their nation and the luxury of Pharoah the upper class and wealthy the majority of people lived simple lives as farmers and workers living on bread and beer while the well to do lived on meat, fruit and wine.

The lower class had bath rooms, shaded courtyards with a pool of fish and their houses were cool and airy with a little furniture.

Sons of nobles were educated in writing and arithmatic the poor were not schooled but helped their

parents. Boys married at 14, girls at 12, out of 270 pharoahs about four were females and example being queen Hatshepsut who ruled for 20 years by usurping the throne.

Normally women worked as mourners, musicians, dancers, midwives or priestesses, while others helped on their farms or had market stalls.

END OF THE EGYPTIAN EMPIRE 1070-30 BC

Cirra the mid 12th century BC the new kingdom was in decline, scarcity in grain resources led to unrest and they were also under threat of invasion from sea people whom were defeated by Rameses 3rd in 1194-1163 BC but the line of pharoahs following were less powerfull.

In 1100 BC civil war ensued with Libyans and Nubians taking part after five years the priests revolted under Herihor ruling in the south capital of Thebes and a Libyan merchant Smendes ruling from Tanis in the North.

Nubian pharoahs were followed by Libyans during this era metal work flourished with emphasis on study of the past and returning to the old kingdom standards. Egypts wealth attracted invasion by the Assyrians who had iron weapons and in 671 BC attacked winning control by 663 BC. Egypt regains independence with the help of the Greeks.

The year 525 BC saw an invasion by the persians ruling till 404 BC when Greeks reclaimed an Egyptian as pharoah. Persia returned in 343 BC but 332 BC saw Alexander the Great conquering Egypt adding the nation to his empire.

He founded the city of Alexandria in lower Egypt after his death the Ptolemies ruled Egypt for almost 300 years. The Ptolemies were founded by one of Alexanders generals and they spread Greek culture with Alexandria as the countrys capital and built the worlds first museum and largest library in the world of that era.

The last of the Ptolomies rule was Cleopatra who came to the throne in 51 BC. Cleopatra born in 69 BC co-ruled Egypt with her half brother Ptolomy 12th at 18 years old. Famed for her charm and intelligence both Romans Julius Caesar and Mark Antony both fell in love with her.

She bore a son with Caesar who helped her become ruler of Egypt after her brother ousted her from the throne in 48 BC. Rome declaired war with Egypt in 32 BC the year following Antony and Cleopatra took their lives and Egypt became a province of their Empire with a Roman governor.

AFRICA 2

between the 7th and 11th centurys AD north Africa was conquered by Arabs who introduced Islam the religion founded by Mohammad, within 100 years they built a massive empire stretching from the middle east across northern Africa and into Spain. After 710 AD the empire