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Good, all this extreme Afrocentrism that I'm seeing on the internet and some weird documentaries on the History Channel, are discrediting genuine scholarship into African history.
It's got to the point where it's practically impossible to have serious discussions about African history on the internet. It always devolves into people making incredibly bizarre claims, as well as black and white supremacists both arguing with one other.
I watched the first two segments last night. It was very informative and enlightening on the kingdom of Meroe especially.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Razza94
I hope this is a serious program with genuine scholarship. Not something about Pyramids flying to space, and Yacob creating white people in a laboratory.
LOL on the above, Skip Gates is a renown scholar of African and African American history. He wrote a large amount of my textbooks in college in relation to African American studies, African studies, and African American Literature.
I heart him
FWIW he did discuss some topics that I felt many "Eurocentrists" would disagree with him and the participants on.
He discussed early artwork in South Africa that pre-dates cave art found in Europe by about 50,000 years.
He discussed early writing systems in Africa that pre-date/coincide to those in the Arab world.
He discussed iron work in Africa that pre-date/coincide with iron smelting beginning in Turkey.
He discussed the kingdom of Axum and its importance in Africa and the Middle East and in the rise/history of Christianity in Africa starting within a decade of Jesus being crucified along with the rise of Islam in Africa that extended to Europe via the Iberian Peninsula.
All in all it was an interesting program IMO. I'm looking forward to the upcoming episodes.
On these, I remember the participation and felt that too many of those discussions were not based on an historical basis and archeology specifically. There were a lot of outdated terms used in those threads (negroid, mongloid, etc.).
Africa birthed and developed the entire world based upon our common shared ancestry of "Mitochondrial Eve." FWIW it is now believed that the father of humanity via the Y chromosome was Asian and there is a lot of new DNA and archeological research into this today.
But just wanted to state that in regards to the topics of the threads you posted, the following was mentioned in the program:
Africa did help develop Europe by way of the Africans and Arabs who invaded the Iberian Peninsula
Nubia and Egypt were contemporaries and developed civilization around the same time. Egypt grew in strength and conquered Nubia and their cultures combined. During the 25th Dynasty Nubian rulers ruled Egypt as well - Nubia in the program was in present day Sudan and was also referred to as Karmak
Nubia and Egypt were geographical neighbors so it would be safe to assume they birthed each other in regards to culture and influence. Nubia was stated to have been where gold was mined. Egypt where fertile grounds laid and food was abundant. They started off as trading partners and Egypt conquered Nubia due to wanting to control the gold mines.
Cleopatra was not discussed much except in regards to defeat of Egypt after her death
Many ancient African civilizations were mentioned in the first episode
Olmecs were not discussed
Moors were discussed as being African and Arab
America was not discussed (in relation to black Americans)
The program is based upon the fact that most people are ignorant about African history, not really ancestry based (FWIW, I also personally believe most people are ignorant about African history, both Eurocentrist and Afrocentrists are IMO).
The program did mention that people in the kingdom of Axum had close connections spiritually with Jerusalem and that a pilgrimage there was seen as the highlight of one's life, similar to Muslims traveling to Mecca. This was based on the Christian connection though, not Jewish.
Civilizations tend to be hybrids. Mesopotamia: Akkadian/Sumerian. Egypt: Hamite/Semite. Greece: Indo-European/Minoan. Rome: Etruscan/Latin.
I agree with this. But wanted to note that the program did specifically mention that ancient Egyptian civilization was African based primarily with Egypt, Nubia/Karmak, and Axum being the dominant groups. I personally thought that some people, particularly Hebrew/Semites would be upset with the program based on the fact that one of the participant experts stated that the Great Pyramids were not built by Hebrew slaves and there was not a focus on Hebrews having any influence on the creation of Egyptian civilization and society - that Egypt was primarily an African civilization created in Africa and influenced by Africans, not Arabs or Semites.
Those first civilizations developed along rivers -- the Nile and the Tigris & Euphrates and the Indus. The idea that some were in Africa and some were in Asia is a modern distinction. I think Gates is doing an okay job. There is some general ignorance out there but I don't know of anyone who has been to school or has a little bit of curiosity that claims the human species doesn't have its beginnings in Africa. Evolution continued after they (we) left Africa and probably continues at a accelerated pace today with migrations and globalization. African civilizations of Egypt, Nubia and Axum have been known for thousands of years in their own right but probably not considered much in a broader continental context. To westerners, African history seem disjointed and disconnected...things appear out of context. Maybe Gates can add some connecting narrative that makes a clearer picture on a continental scale.
Those first civilizations developed along rivers -- the Nile and the Tigris & Euphrates and the Indus. The idea that some were in Africa and some were in Asia is a modern distinction. I think Gates is doing an okay job. There is some general ignorance out there but I don't know of anyone who has been to school or has a little bit of curiosity that claims the human species doesn't have its beginnings in Africa. Evolution continued after they (we) left Africa and probably continues at a accelerated pace today with migrations and globalization. African civilizations of Egypt, Nubia and Axum have been known for thousands of years in their own right but probably not considered much in a broader continental context. To westerners, African history seem disjointed and disconnected...things appear out of context. Maybe Gates can add some connecting narrative that makes a clearer picture on a continental scale.
What I don't understand is what happened to these great civilizations that emerged in the medieval period and and grew wealthy from trade with the Arab world? But by the time the Europeans got seriously involved in Africa, many had already declined or collapsed. Which fitted into the European narrative that Sub-Saharan Africa was culturally backward.
On these, I remember the participation and felt that too many of those discussions were not based on an historical basis and archeology specifically. There were a lot of outdated terms used in those threads (negroid, mongloid, etc.).
Africa birthed and developed the entire world based upon our common shared ancestry of "Mitochondrial Eve." FWIW it is now believed that the father of humanity via the Y chromosome was Asian and there is a lot of new DNA and archeological research into this today.
But just wanted to state that in regards to the topics of the threads you posted, the following was mentioned in the program:
Africa did help develop Europe by way of the Africans and Arabs who invaded the Iberian Peninsula
Nubia and Egypt were contemporaries and developed civilization around the same time. Egypt grew in strength and conquered Nubia and their cultures combined. During the 25th Dynasty Nubian rulers ruled Egypt as well - Nubia in the program was in present day Sudan and was also referred to as Karmak
Nubia and Egypt were geographical neighbors so it would be safe to assume they birthed each other in regards to culture and influence. Nubia was stated to have been where gold was mined. Egypt where fertile grounds laid and food was abundant. They started off as trading partners and Egypt conquered Nubia due to wanting to control the gold mines.
Cleopatra was not discussed much except in regards to defeat of Egypt after her death
Many ancient African civilizations were mentioned in the first episode
Olmecs were not discussed
Moors were discussed as being African and Arab
America was not discussed (in relation to black Americans)
The program is based upon the fact that most people are ignorant about African history, not really ancestry based (FWIW, I also personally believe most people are ignorant about African history, both Eurocentrist and Afrocentrists are IMO).
The program did mention that people in the kingdom of Axum had close connections spiritually with Jerusalem and that a pilgrimage there was seen as the highlight of one's life, similar to Muslims traveling to Mecca. This was based on the Christian connection though, not Jewish.
Do you have a link to support this?
To my knowledge Y-DNA A00 is the current root.
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