Eygpt	Eygptian Wax Painting	Nubian Archers	Meroe Pyrimids

Human Civilization first began in Africa. The earliest forms of agriculture began along the Nile. Cattle rasing began in the Near East along the Fertile Cresent and quickly spread to North Africa. Iron smelting was started in the Sudan. The oldest Egyptian gods were Nubian gods. The ancient Egyptians learned writing and math sciences from the Nubians as well. Egypt helped spread the blessings and evils of civilization to the rest of the world outside of Africa. The basic concepts and principles of civilization began in Africa. Egypt was one of the last in a long line of Nile Valley Civilizations and Egypt was the world's first monumental civilization. Mossi Mask Dogon Door Senufo Mask Bamana Head Piece Bobo Mask Kurumba Mama Mask Sankore Mosque ARID STEPPE West African is made up of Arid Steppe and Savannah Dry-Forest. The steppe region is located between the Sahara Desert in the north and Savannah Dry-forest areas in the south. The Western Steppe receives less rain than the Savannah and dry-forest regions to the south. This area of Africa has two seasons a year wet and dry seasons. Rain comes only during the six months of wet season. Western Steppe has many rivers and lakes that don't appear on world maps, because these bodies of water only exist when it rains. During the six months of dry season the temporary lakes and streams dry up. Occasionally a lake may last for several years; long enough to support large numbers of fish, boats and fishing communities; then it would eventually dry up and disappear. The Niger river and the Songhai people are the two constant bodies that remain in that area year after year. It has been said "If you want to kill a Songhai take him far away from the Niger". The same can probably be said about the Niger river as well. This is the region where the Great West African civilizations were born, such as Ghana, Mali and Songhai along the Niger River. Many people living in the arid steppe, such as the Bamana, Mossi, Songhai, Bobo and Dogon were near the area or were appart of the Three Famous Niger Civilizations. The older Akan speaking people and Baga people, living in the Western Savannah, were in the arid steppe region at the begining and /or hight of Niger Civilizations. In the Arid Steppe grains like millet and maize are grown. Much of the wealth in this region was acquired through trade. Salt came from East Africa, gold and timber came from the south. Benin Tusk Mount Akan Stool Ife Head Baga Nok Figure Mende Mask Igbo Mask Baule Figure WESTERN SAVANNAH & DRY-FOREST The Savannah and Dry-forest lie between the Arid Steppe and the Atlantic Ocean. This region receives rain for six months each year and dry without rain the remaining six months. In the past this area produced more art than any region west of the Nile Valley. Kwele Mask Kuba Art Kongo Figure Luba Stool Mangbetu Cup Pende Pendant Songe Axe Chokwe Figures CENTRAL BASIN RAIN-FOREST & SOUTHERN SAVANNAH Central Africa, Gabon and Congo Brazzavile have only one season a year; rainy season. It rains twelve months a year in this region, only stopping for a few hours, or few days at a time. This area also comprises Congo Kinshasa, and Equatorial Guinea. The Katanga Provence of Congo Kinshasa turns into a Southern Savannah. The Southern Savannah has two seasons wet and dry. George Liautaud Hector Hyppolite of Haiti South Carolina Hat Meta Vaux Fuller Suriname Stool Raymond Saunders AFRICAN AMERICANS The Egyptians believed that the earth was round. Aristophanes of Byzantium learned this from his teachers while he was a student and working as chief librarian in Alexandria Egypt. With the help of Phoenician sailors Africans made their first voyage to the Americas around 300 AD the found several earlier civilizations in existence. They had an influence on the art produced in the newly emerging Olmec Civilization. The pyramids that appear throughout out American Civilizations are combination of pyramids developed by Native Americans Pre-Olmec and influences from Egypt. Beginning in the fifteenth century Africans were brought to the New World as slaves to work primarily in agriculture. Most of the locations where Africans were sent lie between 35 degrees latitude above Tropic of Cancer and from Tropic of Cancer to Tropic of Capricorn in the south.