The Greatness of Ancient West Africa (influence, people)
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At the Bamum Palace Archives – a small dusty room inside the walls of the palace – are held over 7000 documents, many of which pre-date the arrival of the first Europeans in 1902. These documents are written in African languages and transcribed in an indigenous African writing system – the Bamum script of the Cameroon Grassfields.
I believe that no student in Europe is aware of the existence of African scriptures with no relation to arabic and european scriptures..
I think that West Africa was more advanced than North American Indians but not as advanced as Egypt or Nubia. They were
organized enough to form city-states, empires but they still did not have an indigenous system of writing, some did adopt
Arabic. Maybe on the level of the Incas (I don't think they developed writing either).
I think an old definition of civilization was that you had to have writing, but I think you can have literate and non-literate
civilizations. One West African friend told me they didn't need to develop on the scale of Egypt because they had "Spiritual
Technology". He may have a point as I have seen some videos on West Africa where in certain ceremonies and festivals
there were things that defied logical explanation.
Before modern Times especially The industrial revolution most of west was literate, only the elite would be educated enough to know how to read and write at high level. So actually the same thing.
By Early middle ages African elite were not only writing in Arabic but converting it so they can write their own African languages it called Ajami script. Hausa, Fulani, Wolof, Wolof, Mandinka and etc etc etc it even reach Yoruba. But I don't think people understand the timeline for instance Senegal The Western tip of West Africa, War Jabi the first Muslim King of Takrur converted in the 1030s. So taking at least a thousands years ago some west African states were writing in Arabic and their own languages.
It should be also noted that while many of the non Muslim West African states had no complete written language did have over forms of non verbal communication. Symbols and patterns and etc that was especially used in arts. One biggest examples of this are Adinkra symbols, that the Ashanti put clothes, building, pottery and etc.
and Nordic Countries were “savages” or uncivilized before. Same with the most advanced part of Africa- the island nations and Botswana/Namibia/South Africa sphere.
Wait... Scandinavia had been the poorest area and the least "advanced" society in Europe till the end of 19th century and the beginning of 20th century...
[quote=asiago12;52230492]Bamum script developed in Cameroon
At the Bamum Palace Archives – a small dusty room inside the walls of the palace – are held over 7000 documents, many of which pre-date the arrival of the first Europeans in 1902. These documents are written in African languages and transcribed in an indigenous African writing system – the Bamum script of the Cameroon Grassfields.
This was actually developed in the 19th century and the inventor most certainly learned of writing from other sources. As such they're only as "indigenous" as the Cherokee syllabary or the Easter Island script.
Before modern Times especially The industrial revolution most of west was literate, only the elite would be educated enough to know how to read and write at high level. So actually the same thing.
By Early middle ages African elite were not only writing in Arabic but converting it so they can write their own African languages it called Ajami script. Hausa, Fulani, Wolof, Wolof, Mandinka and etc etc etc it even reach Yoruba. But I don't think people understand the timeline for instance Senegal The Western tip of West Africa, War Jabi the first Muslim King of Takrur converted in the 1030s. So taking at least a thousands years ago some west African states were writing in Arabic and their own languages.
It should be also noted that while many of the non Muslim West African states had no complete written language did have over forms of non verbal communication. Symbols and patterns and etc that was especially used in arts. One biggest examples of this are Adinkra symbols, that the Ashanti put clothes, building, pottery and etc.
Do you have audio or video clips of talking drums?
I read that this technique only works for languages with two tones and that's why it wasn't used all over Africa.
Do you know how old Adinkra is? Looks like there are so many symbols that I doubt most common people know all of it.
Do you have audio or video clips of talking drums?
I read that this technique only works for languages with two tones and that's why it wasn't used all over Africa.
Do you know how old Adinkra is? Looks like there are so many symbols that I doubt most common people know all of it.
There videos on YT, Africa is a big continent. Were talking west Africa which this thread is over, talking drums were used in several different west African groups. Your right only some languages they can be applied. A lot of the languages in Africa are tonal, where pitches can express different meaning.
I don't know how old adinkra symbols are but Europeans alone have been reporting on there existence over 200 years ago. The origins aren't modern I can tell you that much but wouldn't be surprised if they were expand later. As I stated in Africa as in Europe before modern age most people were illiterate and elite were often the most literate. So it's likely the most common to know the symbols were artisans, priests, the ruling class and etc. As far there being a lot of that how most symbols base writings are Chinese kanji have over 2,000 but oblivious this not as developed as that but it's interesting.
OP, glad you're doing this! I didn't read everything you wrote, but will only caution that while the modern state of Ghana (which is where the DNA profile comes from) was named after the Ghana Empire, the Ghana Empire was a nation in a different part of West Africa with different ethnic groups/languages/etc. than the modern day Ghana. If you want to look into the history of the people who make up Ghana today, look into the history of the Ashanti Empire, Fante Confederacy, Ewe People, etc.
OP, glad you're doing this! I didn't read everything you wrote, but will only caution that while the modern state of Ghana (which is where the DNA profile comes from) was named after the Ghana Empire, the Ghana Empire was a nation in a different part of West Africa with different ethnic groups/languages/etc. than the modern day Ghana. If you want to look into the history of the people who make up Ghana today, look into the history of the Ashanti Empire, Fante Confederacy, Ewe People, etc.
Before modern Times especially The industrial revolution most of west was literate, only the elite would be educated enough to know how to read and write at high level. So actually the same thing.
By Early middle ages African elite were not only writing in Arabic but converting it so they can write their own African languages it called Ajami script. Hausa, Fulani, Wolof, Wolof, Mandinka and etc etc etc it even reach Yoruba. But I don't think people understand the timeline for instance Senegal The Western tip of West Africa, War Jabi the first Muslim King of Takrur converted in the 1030s. So taking at least a thousands years ago some west African states were writing in Arabic and their own languages.
It should be also noted that while many of the non Muslim West African states had no complete written language did have over forms of non verbal communication. Symbols and patterns and etc that was especially used in arts. One biggest examples of this are Adinkra symbols, that the Ashanti put clothes, building, pottery and etc.
This doesn't ring true at all. The Wolof language has no literary legacy and its use of Arabic script was limited and used intermittently. It was an extensive trade language. Same goes for your other examples. I sign of literacy and usage even among an elite would be a translated Koran or Bible. The first of which didn't appear in African languages until the 19th century at the earliest. Hausa and Yoruba Korans weren't translated until 20th century.
Thede empires are greatly exaggerated. They had no writing system, and there were no written accounts of the African kingdoms until the Arabs arrived. That was whan the Africans gained prosperity from the export of salt to the enlightened world to the north, facilitated by the domestication of camels.
Before the arrival of Arab traders and intellectualism, the kingdoms of Africa were no more advanced than the preliterate indigenous peoples of any other continent. They left no lasting records of their own culture.
Like SlavicVibes, I also love Africa, and I have been in almost every African country.
And writing systems entered Europe via the Middle East as well, and what is essentially a middle eastern religion spread literacy all over Europe (Christianity).
Lots of European cultures never left records as well.
But back to Mali, Timbucktu has a Jewish population and even today there are still some Jews in Mali.
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