Life in Ancient Africa

Children's Literature

Africa was the birthplace of the earliest humans and the home of the world's oldest civilizations. Ancient Egypt, one of Africa's earliest civilizations, emerged around 4000 B.C. The Egyptians build many great cities and cultural monuments. The Nubians, who emerged to the south of the Egyptians, eventually conquered Egypt and ruled for 100 years. Other significant early African cultures were the Aksumites, the Noks and the empires of Benin, Ghana, Mali and Songhai. Africa is a diverse continent rich in resources. The Nile valley in the north provided a fertile soil for agriculture. Western Africa had abundant metal resources, sought after by traders. Eastern Africa was also rich in gold and copper deposits, granite and fertile land for grain. Ancient Africa was the world's greatest source of gold and ivory. Merchants from Europe and Asia came to Africa to trade for these many resources. Life for many ancient Africans was based on farming, fishing herding and hunting. Many families lived together in circular groups of houses called compounds. Richly illustrated with both photographs and drawings, this book is an entertaining introduction to ancient African culture. 2005, Crabtree Publishing Company, and Ages 6 to 12.
—Kristin Harris

School Library Journal

Gr 4-7-These series titles address such subjects as the arts, daily life, the economy, government, language, religious beliefs, and technology in two- to four-page illustrated chapters. The informative, straightforward texts discuss the demise of these civilizations and their modern-world legacies. Sidebars add additional notes on trade, beliefs, myths, travel, and other topics. The attractively designed books feature abundant, clear, captioned color photos of cultural artifacts and historical sites, and a few drawings. Brief time lines outline important developments. Words defined in the glossary are highlighted in bold.-Edward Sullivan, White Pine School, TN Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.