News, announcements, and commentary for the students and families of GAMP.
Monday, September 23, 2013
West Africa: What We Know so Far...
Based on your reading of "Life in Ancient Africa" what can we tell about Ancient African society? Can we begin to address the question of Africa's description as a "Dark Continent?"
After reading "Life in Ancient Africa" I think Ancient Africa kind of worked in a system. Everyone did what they were supposed to do, and there was a king to rule the land. The Ancient African society, in my opinion, is similar to other ancient societies, because they grew and made items for trade and to make money off of it. Also, they have their own unique traditions that no other country has; like rock engravings, ceremonial dances, different kinds of music, arts and crafts, etc. One interesting thing about the Ancient African society that I found is that the people believed that the kings ate no food, and if a ruler's health failed, he might be disposed or ritually killed. I believe we are ready to begin to address the question of Africa's description as a "Dark Continent". We discovered all that we need to know for now to dig into the topic more deeply.
After reading "Life in Ancient Africa", we can obviously see that Africa was very self-sufficient and advanced. Villages had farmers who raised chicken and livestock, or hunted and fished. Eventually, the craftsmen became specialists and weavers, blacksmiths, and dyers were exchanging their services for food. African countries had a from of government as well, monarchies. They highly worshiped their rulers, "...the people...fall on their knees and sprinkle dust on their heads, for this is their way of greeting him." (al-Bakri). Egyptian al-Mulhallabi also stated, "Their religion is the worship if their kings, for they believe that they bring life and death, sickness and health." Africa also became more advanced with the discovery of ironworking. As iron became more available, tools such as axes and hoes were created, which made clearing forest much easier. Spears and harpoons brought successful hunting, and knives and needles transformed hides and fibers into clothes and baskets. I don't think that Africa can fairly be described as a "Dark Continent" because it's simply not true. There has been evidence of ritualized burials which imply that the people had some sort of idea of an afterlife. This shows that they had to believe in something, whether it be God or traditional religions. Actually, Africans did believe in God. According to their belief, God is a "single supreme being" that created the universe and everything in it. They believed that God is present in everything, whether it be trees, streams, even rocks. If the definition of a "Dark Continent" is without religion or culture, then I don't think Africa can be fairly described as so. Africa clearly is so much more.
Prior to readinfg the "life in africa paper i now see that Africa is not only a savage place with disease and wild animals. The people of africa lived as civilians as any other ancient society would. As many other civilizations they had villages beliefs and rituals. Some of their rituals were rock arts and ritual burrials to celebrate the afterlife of their ancestors. Along with this they believed in religion ad had a hirarchy. "Their religion is the worship of their kings, for they believe that they ring life and death , sickness and health". They also had certain jobs that people did. Africa also became more advanced with the discovery of ironworking.Through the reading of this article i think w en olonge rshould address africa as a dark country
The " Life in Ancient Africa" showed that Ancient Africa had organized communities and many ideas/beliefs. People were in different social groups. Different people had different roles in there community. The communities had organized ways of farming. There was a governing system called a democracy ruled by a council of memebers to decide what was wrong and right in life. But after time a King ruled the people. People of Ancient Africa believed in God for there religion. But then they started believeing in spirits from not only people but from plants and animals too. They thought the spirits could help them in different aspects of life and that they could even make contact with them. With mineing, gold and copper became good items for trade. I think we have some information to form an opionion about Ancient Africa being dark but not enough to back it up completely. I think Ancient Africa isnt completely dark. Parts of it are like droughts and illnesses. But every place has its problems. Like for example the U.S. is having problems providing jobs for the unemployed. Darkness is everywhere not just in one conitinet. Nothing is exactly perfect.
After carefully reading "Life in Ancient Africa" I think Africa had many well established societies. they had a system of people working, they had a form of government(which was a king), they found different ways of trading weather on land or not, and they found themselves a religion (which is believing their king is a god). What i truly think is interesting is the more people traded, the more people realized what their culture was and how they connected to other cultures. But over the years, war from other people and other lands come and fight for control of land. Years later because of the trading of cultures, newer empires and kingdoms grew in African soil and continued to trade. I believe we are ready to address and hopefully answer the question of Africa as a "Dark Continent".
After reading "Life in Ancient Africa" I think Ancient Africa was independent.Villages had farmers who raised livestock, or even hunted & fished. Eventually people became craftsmen. Africa is like a well organized system. Everyone did what they were supposed to do, and there was a king to rule the land. Africa does believe in some type of afterlife. They believe in some type of higher being or a god. I am still on the fence as to whether we are ready to address if Africa is a "dark" continent. My reason being is because we have read through the packet and there are reasons that this can be true. However, I do not think its true because as stated in the handout Africans do believe in god and burials. I believe religion plays a big part in a place, or anyone which is why I am still on the fence.
I think Elizabeth described Ancient African Society really well by saying it was "self sufficient and advanced." Ancient African Societies showed elements of being advanced with their independent, self governed communities. Personally I think it would be extremely hard to be civilized without a government. The fact that Ancient Africa remained stable with expanding family patterns and developing a democracy under senior leadership shows extreme intelligence and wisdom. I thought it was intriguing how the myths sparked interest in the minds of hunters and other working men. Also how the farmers considered the digging and turning of the soil just as "sacred" as the land. This shows a strong passion for their beliefs. We can also tell that Ancient African Society was very creative. They would put on costumes and dance because they had faith their displays would spark a miracle like finding cures for sickness and ending drought. They would also celebrate the creation of the universe by performing music and dance displays that lasted six days. By developing a a more elaborate political system Ancient Africa took more steps forward than the days before. Personally I don't think Africa should be described as a "Dark Continent" because it doesn't match the definitions we came up with in class. In class, we said Dark meant "the unknown, monsters, shadows, plague, sadness, and no aspect of religion or culture." To me, Africa shows so much happiness with their fun festivals and believing their music and dance can have a positive impact on their culture and community.
Based on the readings of "Life in Ancient Africa" Africa was just like every other ancient society. Every society has there pros and cons.Africans lived in villages or the nucleus of African civilization.They had an organized community that was self governed hierarchy. Although they did not really have a religion, they still had a very unique and advanced culture. As a class we are ready discuss if and why Africa is a dark continent, although I disagree with the statement. Ancient Africa is like any ordinary ancient society.
Based on the reading I can tell that Ancient Africa depended on their village. The village was their life, if it died, then they died. The farmers brought the food. Whether it was grown, hunted, gathered, or from their livestock. Since most communities were related, the elders led the people under a primitive democracy. Ancient African religion was a big part of the society. Paintings, rock carvings, and ceremonies containing dancers all were involved with their religious nature. Their religion included a supreme being, God. He made the whole land and the spirits of nature. Traditional African religions celebrated life on earth. Without the Farmers, the people had no food. Without the leadership of the elders, the society and organization would crumble. Their religion gave them the confidence and purpose to live and bond together with their families. I believe we are not ready to address the question of Africa fairly being described as a Dark continent. The packet included information on the African culture and traditions during ancient times. There wasn't really anything "Dark" about it.
Based on the reading of "Life in Ancient Africa" I tell that Ancient African society is civilized. According to the brainstorm from class Ancient African society had many of the things that we put as civilized. They had an organized community with elders in charge and as the hierarchy. They also had many rituals varying from religion and tradition. Therefor I don't think African should be considered a dark continent. Dark was defined as, without religion or culture. Africans do have a religion and a culture because according to the reading "Traditional African religion celebrated life on earth." This can also be apart of their culture as well.
In Africa, villages were the heart of the communities, the "nucleus of African civilization." Villages and communities were self-sufficient, meaning they were very independent, could stand on their own, and were self-governing. Within communities, primitive democracies formed that were usually led by senior members. African belief says that God, a single supreme, created the universe. As time went on, Africa advanced. For example, iron working and agriculture. More developed tools and techniques were discovered which helped the continent with trade. After discussing what a "Dark Continent" is, the class agreed that being "Dark" means to be without religion and culture. In order words, heathenistic. Based on the reading, I do not think Africa is not a "Dark Continent." The reading states, :...tradition enshrined in religious belief was what effectively governed rural life..." In class today, we also discussed what it means to be civilized. One of the ideas pointed out was, "system of organization," meaning government and laws/codes. "Dark" can be referred to as "savage-like." The reading supports the idea that African communities eventually developed elaborate political systems over time. Although there is more information about this, based on reading, "Life in Ancient Africa," I do not think Africa can fairly be described as a "Dark Continent."
After reading " Life in Ancient Africa" You can tell that African Society are intelligent people. They have stories of God and creation of Earth. They believe that music connects the living and the dead, that they are able to communicate through music.Their religion was kings. The people worshiped kings. Kings who were adorned in gold and luxurious items. They believed that the kings brought life, death, health,and sickness. They believed that the king ate no food because he was known to have immunity against death and sickness. If a king's health went bad then he might let go of or ritually killed. Around the the middle of the first millennium B.C stout axes, hoes, knives, needles, harpoons, and sharp spears were discovered and made. These tools were helpful. I believe that Africa shouldn't be called a "Dark Continent" because obviously Africa has progressed and improved. It was considered a "Dark Continent" because they had no religion and were savage like. But I believe that Africa was considered a "Dark Continent" because it hasn't been so modern as other major continents. That just because it doesn't have skyscrapers or tall buildings that it is savage and wild place. Africa maybe a lot of things but Dark isn't one of them.
While reading "Life in Ancient Africa" my interest on this topic grew. They had different ways of farming, building, and social system. There were many farmers who also hunted and fished. Communities were self governed. They later "developed a primitive democracy under the leadership of senior members of their clan." They had a religion back then, believing in God. Iron working became really popular back then too. They seemed like they had everything under control with no problems. I agree with Savannah 100% talking about how Africa should not be considered a dark continent. I really liked how she defined dark then compared it to Africa. That is true when we did define dark in class the main idea of it was "without religion and culture". Ancient Africa had an excellent religion and culture back then. They were also very civil. I did not really see a lot about problems and fighting in the article. It seemed everyone got along just fine usually.
After reading "Life in Ancient Africa" I think that they became independent and civilized. The people who were farmers or hunted, eventually became craftsman. I think Africa is organized because everybody had their own thing to do and they did what their job was and got it done. I stil don't fully believe that Africa is the "dark" continent becuae it's religious and believe in god. We have the some of the same believes as them and were not a "dark" continent.
Following the reading of "Life in Ancient Africa" I can tell that Africans believed in a hierarchical system, whether for political or social reasons. I can also tell that Africans believed that spiritual connections where apart of a lifestyle and more than just a religion. African's lost-wax casting methods also show that they were artistic beings, who used art to depict religion or kings as many other civilized cultures have.
I believe that we, as students, can now decide on whether Africa (prior to the European colonization of the 19th century) can be fairly described as a "Dark Continent". I don't think Africa shouldn't be referred to as a "Dark Continent" because the negative connotations associated with the word dark, like "unknown, ignorance, illness and lack of culture/religion" don't give a full picture of what Africa is about.
First, Africa had what I'd call "mini-governments". For example, "communities were...largely autonomous...[and] family pattern[s]...developed a primitive democracy under the leadership of senior members of their clan." Because the farmers reported to "a headman and a council of elders" feudalistic Europe came to mind.
African religions also had some similarities with Abrahamic religions, such as the belief in "God--a single supreme being---[who] created the universe and all that is in it.." Africans' elaborate rituals for their dead and unborn relatives are similar to modern day families' baby showers and homegoing services. I think it is demeaning to ignore all of the facts that support Africa being like any other continent by calling it a "Dark Continent". That's just as rude as calling the early Middle Ages "Dark" just because Europe was having a hard time.
Based on what I read in "life in Ancient Africa"the society in Africa is mostly like any other ancient society in it they created a system of government to keep the villages civilized and under control. Also the had a hunter gathering and a framing system were they were able to obtain food.I think that Africa can't be consider a dark continent due to the fact they there relationship with animal cause unexpected disease and their natural environment has a lot of bad point like famine and drought which makes is harder to live there. Also in African the have a religious system in which they worshiped there kings
After reading "Life in Ancient Africa" it really told me about how Africans are. Based on what I have read they all have different groups become back together in one core group. Also the villages were self sufficient. They are like most Christians and believe God created her by himself. I feel as though we are ready to dive into the topic of "Dark Continent" dealing with Africa we have revealed all we need to know the move further.
i agree with Aliyah, that africa isnt a place where savages roam. it is a place where very sophisticated civilizations arose. very artistic and knowledgeable.
i agree with Aliyah, that africa isnt a place where savages roam. it is a place where very sophisticated civilizations arose. very artistic and knowledgeable.
i agree with Aliyah, that africa isnt a place where savages roam. it is a place where very sophisticated civilizations arose. very artistic and knowledgeable.
After reading "Life in Ancient Africa" I believe that describing it as a "Dark Continent" does not do it justice. Africa, to me, can be seen as a very civilized continent. The only differences between European countries and African countries is their geography and culture. The Europeans branded the continent that way because of the difference in culture. If the countries had a westernized culture, despite the different geography, the Europeans would have seen them in quite a different light. The different clothing, dance styles, and openness about nudity would have made the Europeans not understand how complex they were and instead view the continent as a "Dark Continent"
Based off of reading "Life in Ancient Africa" I can tell that Africa was civilized. Their society was built by classes of fortune. Government was formed by the rule of a king. They believed in hierarchy and their religion had to do with worshiping a king. Africa grew their own crops and was able to trade with other countries. People lived in villages and there were jobs for them such as farming. All of these aspects created a stable community during the Ancient times. Giving Africa the title of being a "Dark Continent", according to the Europeans, is inaccurate because Africa was civilized and had a form of religion.
Based on the reading I think it's safe to say Ancient Africa consisted of very sophisticated civilizations. AS I was reading I saw more and more about the advancements in technology they had, and the way they had early development of advanced tools and agriculture. When it comes to whether or not Africa was a "dark continent" There were things that would lead me to believe either way. When I think of the agriculture and technology they developed I think the exact opposite of dark. The religious beliefs in Africa and the worship of kings makes me lean more toward dark. I know that in Ancient Egypt slave labor and the worship of Pharoh's was dark in a way and that kind of reflects a darker side, along with the famine and disease that Ancient Africa had experienced at times. So in the end I would say that Africa can be justified either way and isn't neccisarily a "dark continent".
After reading "Life in Ancient Africa" I would say that Ancient Africa was a civilization. As we discussed in class today, in order to be civilized you must be settled, have an organized community, have a government, etc. This all ties in with Ancient Africa. Ancient Africa has self sufficient villages and the communities were self governing. As I read through this packet, I was able to pull together that Ancient Africa definitely is an organized community. There was one king and he made sure everyone did their job. Something interesting that caught my eye was the "Rock Art". Rock art in the Sahara represents the ceremonial dancers as early as the 4th millennium. I personally do not think that Ancient Africa should be considered a "Dark Continent" because even though Africa did have diseases, plagues, and sadness, the people there showed much positive attitude with the fun things that they had such as the music and dance and how it can have a positive impact on their lives.
After reading "Life in Ancient Africa", we can see that the Ancient African culture was very advanced in certain fields and in some ways civilized. What i mean by civilized is because of their traits like they had advances tools like iron tools, and also had largely self-sufficient villages. They had farmers who had chickens and livestock and hunted or fished as well. Soon enough, craftsmen slowly became specialist, and by the iron age blacksmiths, weavers,and dyers were practicing their skills in exchange for food from their neighbors. They had developed a primitive democracy under the leadership of senior members of their clan. When communities got bigger Kingdoms rose, often through conquest and the people even believed if the king got ill he could be disposed or ritually killed. The Ancient African culture was also a civilization because of its economy based on their trading of items made or grown. Another thing that makes them civilized is that they have religion and traditions, some of which are not shared by other cultures. I don't think it would be right to call the Continent of Africa a "Dark Continent", because it was called dark based on the fact of no religion and yet it talked about how they had a belief as well as how it was an advanced society. This is what i think and i'm sticking to it.
Based on my reading of "Life in Ancient Africa" we can tell that Ancient African society is quite complex and interesting. They lived in villages and created communities that were self-goverened and independent. Deceased ancestors and unborn descendants were just as important to Ancient Africans as living people were, and this had huge impact on the way their society worked because it caused them to be extremely religious. The religions they believed in contained kings that they believed were the cause of all life, death, sickness, and health. They had roles in society such as metalworkers and people who created masterpieces which was very impressive. They mined about 3,500 tons of gold by the year of 1500 which is quite amazing. I believe we are ready to begin to address the question of Africa's description as a "dark continent" because we have been talking about this topic for a long enough time to dive a little deeper in our reflections and research what we think the answer to this question is.
After reading "Life in Africa," I don't think it is fair to describe Africa as a "Dark Continent." If a Dark Continent is a place lacking civilized life and instead having savages, then Africa is really far from it. Ancient Africans had their own rituals, religions, and forms of government. In fact, it is stated that,"kingdoms arose, often through conquest." In their societies, each person had a role to play (like farmers, weavers, and blacksmiths). Their culture was just much different than the Europeans', and the Europeans labeled something that was really just different as uncivilized. Ancient Africa was, indeed, civilized with a unique way of life.
After reading "Life in Ancient Africa", I have come to the conclusion that Ancient African societies were very loose. Communities and families were self governed, therefore, they did not have a set of laws to follow. However, the senior members of different clans took control of there group. In my opinion, I think it would be impossible to be civilized without a government. Aside from there independence, Africans valued religion, music, art, and dance. Africans expressed birth, marriage, and puberty through music and special choreography. I believe we can begin to address the question of Africa's description as a "Dark Continent". I would not describe Africa as a "Dark Continent", because it contained religion and culture. Africans are extremely festive and happy people, which effects them in a positive way. Also, I agree with Danielle's response.
After both reading the packet "Life in Ancient Africa" and what my classmates had to say about it, I can say that we definitely are ready to begin addressing the question of whether or not it's fair to label Africa as a "Dark Continent". I agree with Elizabeth's and Winter's thoroughly explained point that there is more than ample evidence to prove Africa is much deserving of a better title. Advanced tools used to successfully hunt, trade, and beliefs were just a few in the long list of things that makes you question why Africa was labeled as a "Dark Continent" in the first place. I have to say, I do not agree with what Matthew V. said; I do not think that we are not ready to address the question of Africa fairly being described as a "Dark Continent" because there was nothing "Dark" about Africa in the paper. I think the point of reading the paper was to understand that it really isn't fair to call Africa a "Dark Continent", and then challenge that question with the new information we learned. Now well-equipped with the power of knowledge, we are ready to tackle that question and answer it.
8After reading "Life in Ancient Africa" I view it different now. They had a different social system and basically a whole different way of life. They had self governed communities, also they had their own ways of farming and building. The people of Africa live civilized as one society. Certain people had certain jobs that they all had to do and they all got done with no problems. I do not think Africa would be described as a "Dark Continent". This is because they do believe in something and they are civilized. Africans did believe in God and if the definition of "Dark Continent" is without religion or culture, Africa is not considered a Dark Continent. I agree with Elizabeth on this especially when she says "Africa clearly is so much more".
After reading "Life in Ancient Africa", I definitely believe that ancient Africa was more advanced than most people think, and that they had their own culture and religion. The people of ancient Africa were "self-sufficient", like Elizabeth said. There were farmers that raised animals or hunted, craftsmen that became specialists, and other things like blacksmiths. They also had many beliefs and rituals they practiced as part of their culture. Through various rites and rituals, they connected to their ancestors and worshiped them. Along with this, they believed in a God that created everything and believed a "vital force" flowed from God to all beings and nature. They also celebrated "life on earth" with music, because "The music enabled the living to commune with divine spirits and departed ancestors." In their religion they also worshiped their king greatly, as "they believe that they [the king] bring life and death, sickness and health". Their advancements shows through their technology. They learned to use iron and craft better tools, which in turn helped their agriculture as it became easier to till soil, hunt fish, and many other things. Art was also a part of their culture as they made sculptures, painted, made masks, and other things based on their religion and culture. In my opinion, I don't think that Africa can be described as a "Dark Continent". "Dark" in this context means without religion and culture, along with being savage. As we have read, they DO have a culture and religion. They also are not savages, as people worked for their food by offered their skills among other things. In their religion and culture, they believed in a god, the afterlife, and worshiped life along with contacting the dead through music and dance. This shows that Africa does not fit the definition of a "dark continent". In fact, it can be described as civilized. Africa has specialized workers, advances in technology, a government, and other things that make them a civilized continent.
Based on the reading of "Life in Ancient Africa" I tell that Ancient African society is civilized. Also The " Life in Ancient Africa" showed that Ancient Africa had organized communities and many ideas/beliefs. They had an organized community with elders in charge and as the hierarchy. There was a governing system called a democracy ruled by a council of members to decide what was wrong and right in life. They also had many rituals varying from religion and tradition. I don't think African should be considered a dark continent. Africans are people too and to be described as a dark place just because people think something. And they do some of the same things we do.
After reading “ Life in Ancient Africa” I came to the conclusion that Africa is a very civilized continent. I agree with Elizabeth, It’s obvious that Africa is self- sufficient and advanced. Africa produced their own items for trade, had their own unique cultural traditions and different types of music and dances. Africa is just like any other continent. I just feel like society focuses more on the negative single story about Africa and believe that Africa’s a Dark Continent. Which I strongly disagree because Africa has a very strong belief that God is present in every place. Some of the songs and rituals that they perform are sometimes praising God. God and Evil don’t go hand in hand, therefore Africa can’t be a Dark Continent.
From the reading, we can tell that ancient African society was very advanced and had a system of civilization. with this said, they had many farmers in villages who raised chicken,livestock, and hunted and fished for other animals. In the ancient African society they also had ceremonial dances,music , art and other cultural based things,Africa shows civilization by the producing of own goods unique culture and many Influential dances that inspire the world and the people in it. Yes Africa has its advantages and disadvantages but this would not be considered a Dark continent to me. I say this because Africa shows civilization and individuality in their unique life style and joyful culture expressed by dance and ceremonies
Before I read this article I thought African nature religion was mindless. Now after reading this I feel that there is a lot more civilization on the continent and their religion is their thing. I was surprised to find out that in 500 B.C. the Sahara was green. The Africans coaxed a way of life from a variety of environments. African communities existed in the Green Sahara from 500 B.C. to 1000 A.D. They also produced Livestock in their Farming. Their Villages were over populated and the center of life. Traditions based on religious beliefs effectively governed modern life. Community and family were the highest values. The religion, unlike the Norse was very group oriented. That’s the flaw with a lot of religions: they’re all about the group. Music was used as a way to communicate with Nature spirits. They believed in one powerful God that made decisions for them and that was Amma. I think that this is a good way to say why Africa is the continent that it is, the way it is civilized, in all parts. I think the problem with this culture is it is very group oriented and doesn’t give the freedom for the individual.
After reading "Life in Ancient Africa," I can tell there is more to Africa than what others make of Africa. Ancient Africa had a democracy. They followed their religion and the rules of the democracy. Farmers and herders traded grain for meat, milk, and fielding manuring. They believed that God created the universe and had principles for each clan to live by. Music was significant in Africa. They used music as a way to celebrate the universe and to communicate with spirits of departed ancestors. They believed that the King gave them life, death, sickness, and health. I don't think we should consider Africa as a "Dark Continent." Africa has characteristics just like other continents, but also, they carry unique characteristics making them stand out from other continents. Africa may lack a few things but I think that that's what society focuses on instead of the big picture. I agree with Tamara when she said, "I just feel like society focuses more on the negative single story about Africa and believe that Africa’s a Dark Continent."
After reading "Life in Ancient Africa" I can say that Ancient Africa is very civilized and continues to be come more and more advanced. They had farmers fish and hunt for food. Craftsmen would create statues. The people who lived in Africa had rituals using there hands feet and drums. They would perform these rituals for about 6 days for either a death, birth, puberty, or marriage. The people started to become more of a whole once they developed a political system. Then when they realized how useful iron really was they were able to make tools to make clearing the forrest and taking care of soil a lot easier. These simple things help make Ancient Africa a civilized continent in my opinion. I agree with Elizabeth when she said, "we can obviously see that Africa was very self-sufficient and advanced", because they really did start to create new things and advance over time. I also agree with Nicolette Retallick when she said, "Ancient Africa was independent", because Africa I feel did things on there on and they advanced on their own. They went by what they thought was right and what they believed in. From the article we read it didn't seem like they interacted with other continents as much. Coming to the approach of whether Africa is a "dark" continent is where I'm unsure. There are definitely some evidence showing that it can be a dark continent. For example if a rulers health has failed he will either be deposed or killed. They have some harsh ways in Africa. On the other hand Africa isn't all that "dark". They have celebration rituals for the cycle of life. They also have worked together in ways to improve there continent. So if we are actually are able to come to the approach of Africa being a "dark" continent I'm going to have to partially disagree.
After reading "Life of Ancient Africa " i think of worked in a system. villages had farmers who raised chicken and livestock , or hunted and fished. their religion is the worship of their king. africa also became more advanced with the discovery of ironworking. i dont think that africa can fairly be describe as "Dark Continent" because simply not true. i believe that we already to begin to address the question of africa description as 'Dark Continent" if i was every to define it , i will said it is without religion or culture. africa clearly is so much more then what think today and what they thought in the past.
Based on “Life in Ancient Africa,” we can tell that villages were very self-sufficient. They farmed, hunted, and were a community tied to the land with strong, extremely religious beliefs. “The hunters asked pardon from the prey he killed, the woodcarver from the tree he felled. To keep favor of ancestors, food was left for them on household alters, beer was spilled for them, and new clan members were introduced to them at initiation.” They danced, created music, and wore ritualistic masks in honor of their ancestry and the deceased. They had advanced forms of politics and their communities that grew with the system. King and court were supported through tribute. Like Elizabeth quoted, “Their religion is the worship of their kings…” They had many different rituals and community calendars that showed seasonal activities and harvests. Soon enough, ironworking became an even more important influence in Africa. “The founding hero of the Dogon people was a blacksmith who stole a piece of the sun from the celestial forge.” Iron became more and more available. So, with the supply coming in, axes and hoes made tasks simpler; spears and harpoons continued to help hunting and fishing. Knives and needles created clothes and baskets, creating new technologies and advancing the previously developed ideas. With the discoveries of new metals, communities grew at incredible rates and efficiency of daily tasks was increased, speeding up the development of the African culture. Throughout the reading, I thought about the idea of a “Dark Continent.” Africa is, in my opinion, not a dark continent. They have had such amazing, revolutionary discoveries throughout their existence. I am prepared to delve into the idea and study it. From what I have seen, it is just as dark a country as any other. If you think of a “Dark Continent” as a place that is uncivilized, lacking religion and culture, I think reading “Life in Ancient Africa” has proven that there is more to Africa than many people see.
I do not think it was a 'dark' place. Africa has a diverse and colorful culture and history, and through it all there is a sense of perseverance. Africa has one of the harshest climates and landscapes, and still they lived. Their religion might not have been extremely organized, but they lived with joy and were always ready to celebrate.
It was civilized and organized. It was similar to the life we live today. Different people got different jobs and this helped the society to function properly. They had somewhat of an economy that they created through crafting and trading. They even have traditions similar to what we would consider to be holidays. They had music, arts, dances, and other common traditions. They even had a leader, but theirs is a king and ours is the president. Basically, we have a lot in common, so it's pretty civilized.
After reading "Life in Ancient Africa", we can tell that Ancient Africa was a very advanced, organized society and was largely influenced by religion. African community revolved around villages, being as they were "the nucleus of African civilization". These villages gave way to different groups that could create different farming methods, building styles, and social systems. Villages were mainly "self-sufficient"; everyone had their own role and did their own thing. They were very independent and formed a type of democracy. Using their focus on family, they created a democracy in which elders were leaders and hierarchy was present. Besides villages, the another thing that largely affected Ancient African civilization was religion. Many aspects of life were governed by religious beliefs. Traditional religions became a big part of life through people (ex. priests), myths, and rites. While people may have different values, their religious beliefs are all the same. Ancient Africans believed in a God, ancestors, and spirits. Rituals, dances, sacrifices, music, and rites of passage were all used to honor spirits. Different groups may have used different types of worship, but "no group failed to dance and make music". The positions of kings were also influenced a lot by religion. Tenth century Egyptian al-Muhallabi said "Their religion is the worship of their kings, for they believe that they bring life and death, sickness and health". As communities got bigger, more elaborate political systems emerged. Kings were know to be very respected and have divine kingship. They were expected to have no need for food and drink and could not get sick or die. If a king was not in good health he would be killed because he is supposed to represent the community's strength. Lastly, Ancient Africa was influenced by iron working and agriculture. Iron working, such as smelting, help to create Stone Age tools. Tools made agriculture, fishing, hunting, and clothes making easier. Knowledge of iron working helped make food production and the building of houses better. Communities began to grow, and so did cultural development. I agree with other people that Africa cannot be described as a "Dark Continent" because when we discussed it in class, we said dark meant unknown, death, pain, without religion or culture, and other negative things. It is clear after reading "Life in Ancient Africa" that Africa embodies none of these descriptions. They had culture, religion, technology, and much more. As this reading suggests, they had a civilized, successful way of life. Based on this information, Africa in no way can be considered "Dark".
After reading "Life in Ancient Africa" I learned that Africa was very well organized and self-sufficient. Villagers had different jobs such as farming, hunting/fishing, craftsman, blacksmiths, or weavers. African countries also had a ruler or king. They also had different forms of art such as dances, literature, and music. They also had unique food. I don't think Africa can be fairly described as a "Dark Continent" because it is a very civilized and culture filled continent.
Based on my reading of the article "Life in Ancient Africa," I can conclude that Ancient African society was very capable of handling itself without the need of outside interferences. Just as many others have mentioned before, the article supports this by mentioning that "Villages were largely self-sufficient." They are also very dedicated to their beliefs since the article had also said that "tradition enshrined in religious belief was what effectively governed rural life." I do think that we can begin to address the question of Africa's description as a "Dark Continent." I think that we are now well aware of the actual facts regarding Ancient Africa and of course, our knowledge and assumptions that were with us beforehand. I believe that it is now easier to distinguish the truth from the stereotypes and assumptions.
The reading "Life in Ancient Africa", we can conclude that Africa was one of the very first advanced community system. The people did what they had to do to survive such as raised livestock and gathered everything. Rituals and beliefs even began to evolved. Africa was never always surrounded by diseases and wild animals. As far as addressing the whole continent a "dark continent", I disagree. I don't believe that all of Africa is dark in my opinion.
I dont think Africa is a dark continent. After reading "Life in Ancient Africa", I realized that Africa is very advanced. They had such an organized way to do things they supposed to do. They had different people to do different roles and things. They also had a lot of rituals and traditions.
Ancient Africa was a very advanced, organized society and was largely influenced by religion. African community revolved around villages, being as they were "the nucleus of African civilization". Ancient Africa had organized communities and many ideas/beliefs. They had an organized community with elders in charge and as the hierarchy. There was a governing system called a democracy ruled by a council of members to decide what was wrong and right in lif I agree with Danielle "I don't think Africa should be described as a "Dark Continent""
I think that Africa is a place that is more advanced than many think it is. There is disease and wild animals, but there is also more to that than we think. I agree with Madison P. when she said that they worked in a system and did everything they were supposed to and that they had different unique traditions. I think it's time we begin to really think about if Africa is a, "Dark Continent." We've read enough and learned all the tools that are necessary to answer the topic.
After reading reading "Life in Ancient Africa", I can conclude that Africa was not at all a "Dark Continent". I agree with Elizabeth when she said that Africa cannot be considered a Dark Continent because it is simply not true. It had very advanced civilizations. It was abundant with culture, talents and abilities. Some examples of the culture are that music and dance was and still is present in every village regardless of religion, age, or location. An example of their many talents and abilities is that they were skilled farmers and hunters. They had to be exellent famers and hunters because most of the communities were self- governing and independent. They were also skilled craftsmen and metalworkers. They developed new tools and technology to help the farming process. Another reason that Africa should not be considered a "Dark Continent" is because they treated their kings and leaders with the utmost respect. Anyone who spoke a work against the king would be immediately put to death. I think that we are ready to adress Africa being a "Dark Continent". We have all the resources needed to answer this question.
Based on "Life in Ancient African" I think that Africa was a very civilized place. I agree with Danielle when she pointed out "Ancient African Societies showed elements of being advanced with their independent, self governed communities". Which means that Africa is just like any other place and just not filled with wild animals. The community was very organized meaning. I do not believe that African is considered a dark continent because just like many other societies, African was very similar. A Dark continent is without religion or continent . And I disagree.
I don't think its fair to only call Africa a dark continent. I believe that their ancient societies were just like any other ancient society. They had organized community and religion. How is that dark? They had their own way of life just like anyone else. They had government and independence. They had their own culture and tradition. I think they should be described as anything but dark.
54 comments:
After reading "Life in Ancient Africa" I think Ancient Africa kind of worked in a system. Everyone did what they were supposed to do, and there was a king to rule the land. The Ancient African society, in my opinion, is similar to other ancient societies, because they grew and made items for trade and to make money off of it. Also, they have their own unique traditions that no other country has; like rock engravings, ceremonial dances, different kinds of music, arts and crafts, etc. One interesting thing about the Ancient African society that I found is that the people believed that the kings ate no food, and if a ruler's health failed, he might be disposed or ritually killed.
I believe we are ready to begin to address the question of Africa's description as a "Dark Continent". We discovered all that we need to know for now to dig into the topic more deeply.
After reading "Life in Ancient Africa", we can obviously see that Africa was very self-sufficient and advanced. Villages had farmers who raised chicken and livestock, or hunted and fished. Eventually, the craftsmen became specialists and weavers, blacksmiths, and dyers were exchanging their services for food. African countries had a from of government as well, monarchies. They highly worshiped their rulers, "...the people...fall on their knees and sprinkle dust on their heads, for this is their way of greeting him." (al-Bakri). Egyptian al-Mulhallabi also stated, "Their religion is the worship if their kings, for they believe that they bring life and death, sickness and health." Africa also became more advanced with the discovery of ironworking. As iron became more available, tools such as axes and hoes were created, which made clearing forest much easier. Spears and harpoons brought successful hunting, and knives and needles transformed hides and fibers into clothes and baskets.
I don't think that Africa can fairly be described as a "Dark Continent" because it's simply not true. There has been evidence of ritualized burials which imply that the people had some sort of idea of an afterlife. This shows that they had to believe in something, whether it be God or traditional religions. Actually, Africans did believe in God. According to their belief, God is a "single supreme being" that created the universe and everything in it. They believed that God is present in everything, whether it be trees, streams, even rocks. If the definition of a "Dark Continent" is without religion or culture, then I don't think Africa can be fairly described as so. Africa clearly is so much more.
Prior to readinfg the "life in africa paper i now see that Africa is not only a savage place with disease and wild animals. The people of africa lived as civilians as any other ancient society would. As many other civilizations they had villages beliefs and rituals. Some of their rituals were rock arts and ritual burrials to celebrate the afterlife of their ancestors. Along with this they believed in religion ad had a hirarchy. "Their religion is the worship of their kings, for they believe that they ring life and death , sickness and health". They also had certain jobs that people did. Africa also became more advanced with the discovery of ironworking.Through the reading of this article i think w en olonge rshould address africa as a dark country
The " Life in Ancient Africa" showed that Ancient Africa had organized communities and many ideas/beliefs. People were in different social groups. Different people had different roles in there community. The communities had organized ways of farming. There was a governing system called a democracy ruled by a council of memebers to decide what was wrong and right in life. But after time a King ruled the people. People of Ancient Africa believed in God for there religion. But then they started believeing in spirits from not only people but from plants and animals too. They thought the spirits could help them in different aspects of life and that they could even make contact with them. With mineing, gold and copper became good items for trade. I think we have some information to form an opionion about Ancient Africa being dark but not enough to back it up completely. I think Ancient Africa isnt completely dark. Parts of it are like droughts and illnesses. But every place has its problems. Like for example the U.S. is having problems providing jobs for the unemployed. Darkness is everywhere not just in one conitinet. Nothing is exactly perfect.
After carefully reading "Life in Ancient Africa" I think Africa had many well established societies. they had a system of people working, they had a form of government(which was a king), they found different ways of trading weather on land or not, and they found themselves a religion (which is believing their king is a god). What i truly think is interesting is the more people traded, the more people realized what their culture was and how they connected to other cultures. But over the years, war from other people and other lands come and fight for control of land. Years later because of the trading of cultures, newer empires and kingdoms grew in African soil and continued to trade. I believe we are ready to address and hopefully answer the question of Africa as a "Dark Continent".
After reading "Life in Ancient Africa" I think Ancient Africa was independent.Villages had farmers who raised livestock, or even hunted & fished. Eventually people became craftsmen. Africa is like a well organized system. Everyone did what they were supposed to do, and there was a king to rule the land. Africa does believe in some type of afterlife. They believe in some type of higher being or a god.
I am still on the fence as to whether we are ready to address if Africa is a "dark" continent. My reason being is because we have read through the packet and there are reasons that this can be true. However, I do not think its true because as stated in the handout Africans do believe in god and burials. I believe religion plays a big part in a place, or anyone which is why I am still on the fence.
I think Elizabeth described Ancient African Society really well by saying it was "self sufficient and advanced." Ancient African Societies showed elements of being advanced with their independent, self governed communities. Personally I think it would be extremely hard to be civilized without a government. The fact that Ancient Africa remained stable with expanding family patterns and developing a democracy under senior leadership shows extreme intelligence and wisdom. I thought it was intriguing how the myths sparked interest in the minds of hunters and other working men. Also how the farmers considered the digging and turning of the soil just as "sacred" as the land. This shows a strong passion for their beliefs.
We can also tell that Ancient African Society was very creative. They would put on costumes and dance because they had faith their displays would spark a miracle like finding cures for sickness and ending drought. They would also celebrate the creation of the universe by performing music and dance displays that lasted six days.
By developing a a more elaborate political system Ancient Africa took more steps forward than the days before.
Personally I don't think Africa should be described as a "Dark Continent" because it doesn't match the definitions we came up with in class. In class, we said Dark meant "the unknown, monsters, shadows, plague, sadness, and no aspect of religion or culture." To me, Africa shows so much happiness with their fun festivals and believing their music and dance can have a positive impact on their culture and community.
Based on the readings of "Life in Ancient Africa" Africa was just like every other ancient society. Every society has there pros and cons.Africans lived in villages or the nucleus of African civilization.They had an organized community that was self governed hierarchy. Although they did not really have a religion, they still had a very unique and advanced culture. As a class we are ready discuss if and why Africa is a dark continent, although I disagree with the statement. Ancient Africa is like any ordinary ancient society.
Based on the reading I can tell that Ancient Africa depended on their village. The village was their life, if it died, then they died. The farmers brought the food. Whether it was grown, hunted, gathered, or from their livestock. Since most communities were related, the elders led the people under a primitive democracy. Ancient African religion was a big part of the society. Paintings, rock carvings, and ceremonies containing dancers all were involved with their religious nature. Their religion included a supreme being, God. He made the whole land and the spirits of nature. Traditional African religions celebrated life on earth. Without the Farmers, the people had no food. Without the leadership of the elders, the society and organization would crumble. Their religion gave them the confidence and purpose to live and bond together with their families.
I believe we are not ready to address the question of Africa fairly being described as a Dark continent. The packet included information on the African culture and traditions during ancient times. There wasn't really anything "Dark" about it.
Based on the reading of "Life in Ancient Africa" I tell that Ancient African society is civilized. According to the brainstorm from class Ancient African society had many of the things that we put as civilized. They had an organized community with elders in charge and as the hierarchy. They also had many rituals varying from religion and tradition. Therefor I don't think African should be considered a dark continent. Dark was defined as, without religion or culture. Africans do have a religion and a culture because according to the reading "Traditional African religion celebrated life on earth." This can also be apart of their culture as well.
In Africa, villages were the heart of the communities, the "nucleus of African civilization." Villages and communities were self-sufficient, meaning they were very independent, could stand on their own, and were self-governing. Within communities, primitive democracies formed that were usually led by senior members. African belief says that God, a single supreme, created the universe. As time went on, Africa advanced. For example, iron working and agriculture. More developed tools and techniques were discovered which helped the continent with trade. After discussing what a "Dark Continent" is, the class agreed that being "Dark" means to be without religion and culture. In order words, heathenistic. Based on the reading, I do not think Africa is not a "Dark Continent." The reading states, :...tradition enshrined in religious belief was what effectively governed rural life..." In class today, we also discussed what it means to be civilized. One of the ideas pointed out was, "system of organization," meaning government and laws/codes. "Dark" can be referred to as "savage-like." The reading supports the idea that African communities eventually developed elaborate political systems over time. Although there is more information about this, based on reading, "Life in Ancient Africa," I do not think Africa can fairly be described as a "Dark Continent."
After reading " Life in Ancient Africa" You can tell that African Society are intelligent people. They have stories of God and creation of Earth. They believe that music connects the living and the dead, that they are able to communicate through music.Their religion was kings. The people worshiped kings. Kings who were adorned in gold and luxurious items. They believed that the kings brought life, death, health,and sickness. They believed that the king ate no food because he was known to have immunity against death and sickness. If a king's health went bad then he might let go of or ritually killed. Around the the middle of the first millennium B.C stout axes, hoes, knives, needles, harpoons, and sharp spears were discovered and made. These tools were helpful.
I believe that Africa shouldn't be called a "Dark Continent" because obviously Africa has progressed and improved. It was considered a "Dark Continent" because they had no religion and were savage like. But I believe that Africa was considered a "Dark Continent" because it hasn't been so modern as other major continents. That just because it doesn't have skyscrapers or tall buildings that it is savage and wild place. Africa maybe a lot of things but Dark isn't one of them.
While reading "Life in Ancient Africa" my interest on this topic grew. They had different ways of farming, building, and social system. There were many farmers who also hunted and fished. Communities were self governed. They later "developed a primitive democracy under the leadership of senior members of their clan." They had a religion back then, believing in God. Iron working became really popular back then too. They seemed like they had everything under control with no problems. I agree with Savannah 100% talking about how Africa should not be considered a dark continent. I really liked how she defined dark then compared it to Africa. That is true when we did define dark in class the main idea of it was "without religion and culture". Ancient Africa had an excellent religion and culture back then. They were also very civil. I did not really see a lot about problems and fighting in the article. It seemed everyone got along just fine usually.
After reading "Life in Ancient Africa" I think that they became independent and civilized. The people who were farmers or hunted, eventually became craftsman. I think Africa is organized because everybody had their own thing to do and they did what their job was and got it done. I stil don't fully believe that Africa is the "dark" continent becuae it's religious and believe in god. We have the some of the same believes as them and were not a "dark" continent.
Following the reading of "Life in Ancient Africa" I can tell that Africans believed in a hierarchical system, whether for political or social reasons. I can also tell that Africans believed that spiritual connections where apart of a lifestyle and more than just a religion. African's lost-wax casting methods also show that they were artistic beings, who used art to depict religion or kings as many other civilized cultures have.
I believe that we, as students, can now decide on whether Africa (prior to the European colonization of the 19th century) can be fairly described as a "Dark Continent". I don't think Africa shouldn't be referred to as a "Dark Continent" because the negative connotations associated with the word dark, like "unknown, ignorance, illness and lack of culture/religion" don't give a full picture of what Africa is about.
First, Africa had what I'd call "mini-governments". For example, "communities were...largely autonomous...[and] family pattern[s]...developed a primitive democracy under the leadership of senior members of their clan." Because the farmers reported to "a headman and a council of elders" feudalistic Europe came to mind.
African religions also had some similarities with Abrahamic religions, such as the belief in "God--a single supreme being---[who] created the universe and all that is in it.." Africans' elaborate rituals for their dead and unborn relatives are similar to modern day families' baby showers and homegoing services. I think it is demeaning to ignore all of the facts that support Africa being like any other continent by calling it a "Dark Continent". That's just as rude as calling the early Middle Ages "Dark" just because Europe was having a hard time.
Based on what I read in "life in Ancient Africa"the society in Africa is mostly like any other ancient society in it they created a system of government to keep the villages civilized and under control. Also the had a hunter gathering and a framing system were they were able to obtain food.I think that Africa can't be consider a dark continent due to the fact they there relationship with animal cause unexpected disease and their natural environment has a lot of bad point like famine and drought which makes is harder to live there. Also in African the have a religious system in which they worshiped there kings
After reading "Life in Ancient Africa" it really told me about how Africans are. Based on what I have read they all have different groups become back together in one core group. Also the villages were self sufficient. They are like most Christians and believe God created her by himself. I feel as though we are ready to dive into the topic of "Dark Continent" dealing with Africa we have revealed all we need to know the move further.
i agree with Aliyah, that africa isnt a place where savages roam. it is a place where very sophisticated civilizations arose. very artistic and knowledgeable.
i agree with Aliyah, that africa isnt a place where savages roam. it is a place where very sophisticated civilizations arose. very artistic and knowledgeable.
i agree with Aliyah, that africa isnt a place where savages roam. it is a place where very sophisticated civilizations arose. very artistic and knowledgeable.
After reading "Life in Ancient Africa" I believe that describing it as a "Dark Continent" does not do it justice. Africa, to me, can be seen as a very civilized continent. The only differences between European countries and African countries is their geography and culture. The Europeans branded the continent that way because of the difference in culture. If the countries had a westernized culture, despite the different geography, the Europeans would have seen them in quite a different light. The different clothing, dance styles, and openness about nudity would have made the Europeans not understand how complex they were and instead view the continent as a "Dark Continent"
Based off of reading "Life in Ancient Africa" I can tell that Africa was civilized. Their society was built by classes of fortune. Government was formed by the rule of a king. They believed in hierarchy and their religion had to do with worshiping a king. Africa grew their own crops and was able to trade with other countries. People lived in villages and there were jobs for them such as farming. All of these aspects created a stable community during the Ancient times. Giving Africa the title of being a "Dark Continent", according to the Europeans, is inaccurate because Africa was civilized and had a form of religion.
Based on the reading I think it's safe to say Ancient Africa consisted of very sophisticated civilizations. AS I was reading I saw more and more about the advancements in technology they had, and the way they had early development of advanced tools and agriculture. When it comes to whether or not Africa was a "dark continent" There were things that would lead me to believe either way. When I think of the agriculture and technology they developed I think the exact opposite of dark. The religious beliefs in Africa and the worship of kings makes me lean more toward dark. I know that in Ancient Egypt slave labor and the worship of Pharoh's was dark in a way and that kind of reflects a darker side, along with the famine and disease that Ancient Africa had experienced at times. So in the end I would say that Africa can be justified either way and isn't neccisarily a "dark continent".
After reading "Life in Ancient Africa" I would say that Ancient Africa was a civilization. As we discussed in class today, in order to be civilized you must be settled, have an organized community, have a government, etc. This all ties in with Ancient Africa. Ancient Africa has self sufficient villages and the communities were self governing. As I read through this packet, I was able to pull together that Ancient Africa definitely is an organized community. There was one king and he made sure everyone did their job. Something interesting that caught my eye was the "Rock Art". Rock art in the Sahara represents the ceremonial dancers as early as the 4th millennium.
I personally do not think that Ancient Africa should be considered a "Dark Continent" because even though Africa did have diseases, plagues, and sadness, the people there showed much positive attitude with the fun things that they had such as the music and dance and how it can have a positive impact on their lives.
After reading "Life in Ancient Africa", we can see that the Ancient African culture was very advanced in certain fields and in some ways civilized. What i mean by civilized is because of their traits like they had advances tools like iron tools, and also had largely self-sufficient villages. They had farmers who had chickens and livestock and hunted or fished as well. Soon enough, craftsmen slowly became specialist, and by the iron age blacksmiths, weavers,and dyers were practicing their skills in exchange for food from their neighbors. They had developed a primitive democracy under the leadership of senior members of their clan. When communities got bigger Kingdoms rose, often through conquest and the people even believed if the king got ill he could be disposed or ritually killed. The Ancient African culture was also a civilization because of its economy based on their trading of items made or grown. Another thing that makes them civilized is that they have religion and traditions, some of which are not shared by other cultures. I don't think it would be right to call the Continent of Africa a "Dark Continent", because it was called dark based on the fact of no religion and yet it talked about how they had a belief as well as how it was an advanced society. This is what i think and i'm sticking to it.
Based on my reading of "Life in Ancient Africa" we can tell that Ancient African society is quite complex and interesting. They lived in villages and created communities that were self-goverened and independent. Deceased ancestors and unborn descendants were just as important to Ancient Africans as living people were, and this had huge impact on the way their society worked because it caused them to be extremely religious. The religions they believed in contained kings that they believed were the cause of all life, death, sickness, and health. They had roles in society such as metalworkers and people who created masterpieces which was very impressive. They mined about 3,500 tons of gold by the year of 1500 which is quite amazing. I believe we are ready to begin to address the question of Africa's description as a "dark continent" because we have been talking about this topic for a long enough time to dive a little deeper in our reflections and research what we think the answer to this question is.
After reading "Life in Africa," I don't think it is fair to describe Africa as a "Dark Continent." If a Dark Continent is a place lacking civilized life and instead having savages, then Africa is really far from it. Ancient Africans had their own rituals, religions, and forms of government. In fact, it is stated that,"kingdoms arose, often through conquest." In their societies, each person had a role to play (like farmers, weavers, and blacksmiths). Their culture was just much different than the Europeans', and the Europeans labeled something that was really just different as uncivilized. Ancient Africa was, indeed, civilized with a unique way of life.
After reading "Life in Ancient Africa", I have come to the conclusion that Ancient African societies were very loose. Communities and families were self governed, therefore, they did not have a set of laws to follow. However, the senior members of different clans took control of there group. In my opinion, I think it would be impossible to be civilized without a government. Aside from there independence, Africans valued religion, music, art, and dance. Africans expressed birth, marriage, and puberty through music and special choreography. I believe we can begin to address the question of Africa's description as a "Dark Continent". I would not describe Africa as a "Dark Continent", because it contained religion and culture. Africans are extremely festive and happy people, which effects them in a positive way. Also, I agree with Danielle's response.
After both reading the packet "Life in Ancient Africa" and what my classmates had to say about it, I can say that we definitely are ready to begin addressing the question of whether or not it's fair to label Africa as a "Dark Continent".
I agree with Elizabeth's and Winter's thoroughly explained point that there is more than ample evidence to prove Africa is much deserving of a better title. Advanced tools used to successfully hunt, trade, and beliefs were just a few in the long list of things that makes you question why Africa was labeled as a "Dark Continent" in the first place.
I have to say, I do not agree with what Matthew V. said; I do not think that we are not ready to address the question of Africa fairly being described as a "Dark Continent" because there was nothing "Dark" about Africa in the paper. I think the point of reading the paper was to understand that it really isn't fair to call Africa a "Dark Continent", and then challenge that question with the new information we learned. Now well-equipped with the power of knowledge, we are ready to tackle that question and answer it.
8After reading "Life in Ancient Africa" I view it different now. They had a different social system and basically a whole different way of life. They had self governed communities, also they had their own ways of farming and building. The people of Africa live civilized as one society. Certain people had certain jobs that they all had to do and they all got done with no problems. I do not think Africa would be described as a "Dark Continent". This is because they do believe in something and they are civilized. Africans did believe in God and if the definition of "Dark Continent" is without religion or culture, Africa is not considered a Dark Continent. I agree with Elizabeth on this especially when she says "Africa clearly is so much more".
After reading "Life in Ancient Africa", I definitely believe that ancient Africa was more advanced than most people think, and that they had their own culture and religion. The people of ancient Africa were "self-sufficient", like Elizabeth said. There were farmers that raised animals or hunted, craftsmen that became specialists, and other things like blacksmiths. They also had many beliefs and rituals they practiced as part of their culture. Through various rites and rituals, they connected to their ancestors and worshiped them. Along with this, they believed in a God that created everything and believed a "vital force" flowed from God to all beings and nature. They also celebrated "life on earth" with music, because "The music enabled the living to commune with divine spirits and departed ancestors." In their religion they also worshiped their king greatly, as "they believe that they [the king] bring life and death, sickness and health". Their advancements shows through their technology. They learned to use iron and craft better tools, which in turn helped their agriculture as it became easier to till soil, hunt fish, and many other things. Art was also a part of their culture as they made sculptures, painted, made masks, and other things based on their religion and culture.
In my opinion, I don't think that Africa can be described as a "Dark Continent". "Dark" in this context means without religion and culture, along with being savage. As we have read, they DO have a culture and religion. They also are not savages, as people worked for their food by offered their skills among other things. In their religion and culture, they believed in a god, the afterlife, and worshiped life along with contacting the dead through music and dance. This shows that Africa does not fit the definition of a "dark continent". In fact, it can be described as civilized. Africa has specialized workers, advances in technology, a government, and other things that make them a civilized continent.
Based on the reading of "Life in Ancient Africa" I tell that Ancient African society is civilized. Also The " Life in Ancient Africa" showed that Ancient Africa had organized communities and many ideas/beliefs. They had an organized community with elders in charge and as the hierarchy. There was a governing system called a democracy ruled by a council of members to decide what was wrong and right in life.
They also had many rituals varying from religion and tradition. I don't think African should be considered a dark continent. Africans are people too and to be described as a dark place just because people think something. And they do some of the same things we do.
After reading “ Life in Ancient Africa” I came to the conclusion that Africa is a very civilized continent. I agree with Elizabeth, It’s obvious that Africa is self- sufficient and advanced. Africa produced their own items for trade, had their own unique cultural traditions and different types of music and dances. Africa is just like any other continent. I just feel like society focuses more on the negative single story about Africa and believe that Africa’s a Dark Continent. Which I strongly disagree because Africa has a very strong belief that God is present in every place. Some of the songs and rituals that they perform are sometimes praising God. God and Evil don’t go hand in hand, therefore Africa can’t be a Dark Continent.
From the reading, we can tell that ancient African society was very advanced and had a system of civilization. with this said, they had many farmers in villages who raised chicken,livestock, and hunted and fished for other animals. In the ancient African society they also had ceremonial dances,music , art and other cultural based things,Africa shows civilization by the producing of own goods unique culture and many Influential dances that inspire the world and the people in it. Yes Africa has its advantages and disadvantages but this would not be considered a Dark continent to me. I say this because Africa shows civilization and individuality in their unique life style and joyful culture expressed by dance and ceremonies
Before I read this article I thought African nature religion was mindless. Now after reading this I feel that there is a lot more civilization on the continent and their religion is their thing.
I was surprised to find out that in 500 B.C. the Sahara was green. The Africans coaxed a way of life from a variety of environments. African communities existed in the Green Sahara from 500 B.C. to 1000 A.D.
They also produced Livestock in their Farming. Their Villages were over populated and the center of life. Traditions based on religious beliefs effectively governed modern life.
Community and family were the highest values. The religion, unlike the Norse was very group oriented. That’s the flaw with a lot of religions: they’re all about the group.
Music was used as a way to communicate with Nature spirits. They believed in one powerful God that made decisions for them and that was Amma. I think that this is a good way to say why Africa is the continent that it is, the way it is civilized, in all parts.
I think the problem with this culture is it is very group oriented and doesn’t give the freedom for the individual.
After reading "Life in Ancient Africa," I can tell there is more to Africa than what others make of Africa. Ancient Africa had a democracy. They followed their religion and the rules of the democracy. Farmers and herders traded grain for meat, milk, and fielding manuring. They believed that God created the universe and had principles for each clan to live by. Music was significant in Africa. They used music as a way to celebrate the universe and to communicate with spirits of departed ancestors. They believed that the King gave them life, death, sickness, and health. I don't think we should consider Africa as a "Dark Continent." Africa has characteristics just like other continents, but also, they carry unique characteristics making them stand out from other continents. Africa may lack a few things but I think that that's what society focuses on instead of the big picture. I agree with Tamara when she said, "I just feel like society focuses more on the negative single story about Africa and believe that Africa’s a Dark Continent."
After reading "Life in Ancient Africa" I can say that Ancient Africa is very civilized and continues to be come more and more advanced. They had farmers fish and hunt for food. Craftsmen would create statues. The people who lived in Africa had rituals using there hands feet and drums. They would perform these rituals for about 6 days for either a death, birth, puberty, or marriage. The people started to become more of a whole once they developed a political system. Then when they realized how useful iron really was they were able to make tools to make clearing the forrest and taking care of soil a lot easier. These simple things help make Ancient Africa a civilized continent in my opinion. I agree with Elizabeth when she said, "we can obviously see that Africa was very self-sufficient and advanced", because they really did start to create new things and advance over time. I also agree with Nicolette Retallick when she said, "Ancient Africa was independent", because Africa I feel did things on there on and they advanced on their own. They went by what they thought was right and what they believed in. From the article we read it didn't seem like they interacted with other continents as much.
Coming to the approach of whether Africa is a "dark" continent is where I'm unsure. There are definitely some evidence showing that it can be a dark continent. For example if a rulers health has failed he will either be deposed or killed. They have some harsh ways in Africa. On the other hand Africa isn't all that "dark". They have celebration rituals for the cycle of life. They also have worked together in ways to improve there continent. So if we are actually are able to come to the approach of Africa being a "dark" continent I'm going to have to partially disagree.
After reading "Life of Ancient Africa " i think of worked in a system. villages had farmers who raised chicken and livestock , or hunted and fished. their religion is the worship of their king. africa also became more advanced with the discovery of ironworking. i dont think that africa can fairly be describe as "Dark Continent" because simply not true. i believe that we already to begin to address the question of africa description as 'Dark Continent" if i was every to define it , i will said it is without religion or culture. africa clearly is so much more then what think today and what they thought in the past.
Based on “Life in Ancient Africa,” we can tell that villages were very self-sufficient. They
farmed, hunted, and were a community tied to the land with strong, extremely religious
beliefs. “The hunters asked pardon from the prey he killed, the woodcarver from the tree he
felled. To keep favor of ancestors, food was left for them on household alters, beer was
spilled for them, and new clan members were introduced to them at initiation.” They danced,
created music, and wore ritualistic masks in honor of their ancestry and the deceased. They
had advanced forms of politics and their communities that grew with the system. King and
court were supported through tribute. Like Elizabeth quoted, “Their religion is the worship of
their kings…” They had many different rituals and community calendars that showed seasonal activities and harvests. Soon enough, ironworking became an even more important influence
in Africa. “The founding hero of the Dogon people was a blacksmith who stole a piece of the
sun from the celestial forge.” Iron became more and more available. So, with the supply
coming in, axes and hoes made tasks simpler; spears and harpoons continued to help hunting and fishing. Knives and needles created clothes and baskets, creating new technologies and advancing the previously developed ideas. With the discoveries of new metals, communities grew at incredible rates and efficiency of daily tasks was increased, speeding up the development of the African culture.
Throughout the reading, I thought about the idea of a “Dark Continent.” Africa is, in my opinion, not a dark continent. They have had such amazing, revolutionary discoveries throughout their existence. I am prepared to delve into the idea and study it. From what I have seen, it is just as dark a country as any other. If you think of a “Dark Continent” as a place that is uncivilized, lacking religion and culture, I think reading “Life in Ancient Africa” has proven that there is more to Africa than many people see.
I do not think it was a 'dark' place. Africa has a diverse and colorful culture and history, and through it all there is a sense of perseverance. Africa has one of the harshest climates and landscapes, and still they lived. Their religion might not have been extremely organized, but they lived with joy and were always ready to celebrate.
It was civilized and organized. It was similar to the life we live today. Different people got different jobs and this helped the society to function properly. They had somewhat of an economy that they created through crafting and trading. They even have traditions similar to what we would consider to be holidays. They had music, arts, dances, and other common traditions. They even had a leader, but theirs is a king and ours is the president. Basically, we have a lot in common, so it's pretty civilized.
After reading "Life in Ancient Africa", we can tell that Ancient Africa was a very advanced, organized society and was largely influenced by religion. African community revolved around villages, being as they were "the nucleus of African civilization". These villages gave way to different groups that could create different farming methods, building styles, and social systems. Villages were mainly "self-sufficient"; everyone had their own role and did their own thing. They were very independent and formed a type of democracy. Using their focus on family, they created a democracy in which elders were leaders and hierarchy was present. Besides villages, the another thing that largely affected Ancient African civilization was religion. Many aspects of life were governed by religious beliefs. Traditional religions became a big part of life through people (ex. priests), myths, and rites. While people may have different values, their religious beliefs are all the same. Ancient Africans believed in a God, ancestors, and spirits. Rituals, dances, sacrifices, music, and rites of passage were all used to honor spirits. Different groups may have used different types of worship, but "no group failed to dance and make music". The positions of kings were also influenced a lot by religion. Tenth century Egyptian al-Muhallabi said "Their religion is the worship of their kings, for they believe that they bring life and death, sickness and health". As communities got bigger, more elaborate political systems emerged. Kings were know to be very respected and have divine kingship. They were expected to have no need for food and drink and could not get sick or die. If a king was not in good health he would be killed because he is supposed to represent the community's strength. Lastly, Ancient Africa was influenced by iron working and agriculture. Iron working, such as smelting, help to create Stone Age tools. Tools made agriculture, fishing, hunting, and clothes making easier. Knowledge of iron working helped make food production and the building of houses better. Communities began to grow, and so did cultural development. I agree with other people that Africa cannot be described as a "Dark Continent" because when we discussed it in class, we said dark meant unknown, death, pain, without religion or culture, and other negative things. It is clear after reading "Life in Ancient Africa" that Africa embodies none of these descriptions. They had culture, religion, technology, and much more. As this reading suggests, they had a civilized, successful way of life. Based on this information, Africa in no way can be considered "Dark".
After reading "Life in Ancient Africa" I learned that Africa was very well organized and self-sufficient. Villagers had different jobs such as farming, hunting/fishing, craftsman, blacksmiths, or weavers. African countries also had a ruler or king. They also had different forms of art such as dances, literature, and music. They also had unique food. I don't think Africa can be fairly described as a "Dark Continent" because it is a very civilized and culture filled continent.
Based on my reading of the article "Life in Ancient Africa," I can conclude that Ancient African society was very capable of handling itself without the need of outside interferences. Just as many others have mentioned before, the article supports this by mentioning that "Villages were largely self-sufficient." They are also very dedicated to their beliefs since the article had also said that "tradition enshrined in religious belief was what effectively governed rural life."
I do think that we can begin to address the question of Africa's description as a "Dark Continent." I think that we are now well aware of the actual facts regarding Ancient Africa and of course, our knowledge and assumptions that were with us beforehand. I believe that it is now easier to distinguish the truth from the stereotypes and assumptions.
The reading "Life in Ancient Africa", we can conclude that Africa was one of the very first advanced community system. The people did what they had to do to survive such as raised livestock and gathered everything. Rituals and beliefs even began to evolved. Africa was never always surrounded by diseases and wild animals. As far as addressing the whole continent a "dark continent", I disagree. I don't believe that all of Africa is dark in my opinion.
I dont think Africa is a dark continent. After reading "Life in Ancient Africa", I realized that Africa is very advanced. They had such an organized way to do things they supposed to do. They had different people to do different roles and things. They also had a lot of rituals and traditions.
Ancient Africa was a very advanced, organized society and was largely influenced by religion. African community revolved around villages, being as they were "the nucleus of African civilization". Ancient Africa had organized communities and many ideas/beliefs. They had an organized community with elders in charge and as the hierarchy. There was a governing system called a democracy ruled by a council of members to decide what was wrong and right in lif I agree with Danielle "I don't think Africa should be described as a "Dark Continent""
I think that Africa is a place that is more advanced than many think it is. There is disease and wild animals, but there is also more to that than we think. I agree with Madison P. when she said that they worked in a system and did everything they were supposed to and that they had different unique traditions.
I think it's time we begin to really think about if Africa is a, "Dark Continent." We've read enough and learned all the tools that are necessary to answer the topic.
After reading reading "Life in Ancient Africa", I can conclude that Africa was not at all a "Dark Continent". I agree with Elizabeth when she said that Africa cannot be considered a Dark Continent because it is simply not true. It had very advanced civilizations. It was abundant with culture, talents and abilities. Some examples of the culture are that music and dance was and still is present in every village regardless of religion, age, or location. An example of their many talents and abilities is that they were skilled farmers and hunters. They had to be exellent famers and hunters because most of the communities were self- governing and independent. They were also skilled craftsmen and metalworkers. They developed new tools and technology to help the farming process. Another reason that Africa should not be considered a "Dark Continent" is because they treated their kings and leaders with the utmost respect. Anyone who spoke a work against the king would be immediately put to death. I think that we are ready to adress Africa being a "Dark Continent". We have all the resources needed to answer this question.
Based on "Life in Ancient African" I think that Africa was a very civilized place. I agree with Danielle when she pointed out "Ancient African Societies showed elements of being advanced with their independent, self governed communities". Which means that Africa is just like any other place and just not filled with wild animals. The community was very organized meaning.
I do not believe that African is considered a dark continent because just like many other societies, African was very similar. A Dark continent is without religion or continent . And I disagree.
I don't think its fair to only call Africa a dark continent. I believe that their ancient societies were just like any other ancient society. They had organized community and religion. How is that dark? They had their own way of life just like anyone else. They had government and independence. They had their own culture and tradition. I think they should be described as anything but dark.
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