Ancient Africa and America Prehistory-c.e. 1600 – Flashcards

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What is the second largest continent in the world?
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Africa 11.3 million square miles
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From north to south Africa there are what two things?
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-a succession of climatic zones -desert, savannah, rain forest, mountain ranges
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What continent is suggested to be where human life began?
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Africa
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Where is it that has the oldest fossils of the early ancestors of humankind have been found?
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Africa
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What continent is the only continent that shows evidence of humans through the key stages of evolution?
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Africa
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Scientific techniques support the notion that Africa, and in particular the ___ and ___ regions, is the cradle of humankind.
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Eastern Southern
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The earliest ancestors of humankind are known as ______ -commonly known as ape men.
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australopithecines
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The first example of Australopithecus was found when and where?
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1925 in a limestone cave near Taung, in South Africa
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What is the best know specimen of afarensis?
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Lucy
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How old is lucy?
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3.2 million years old
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Where and when did they find lucy?
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november 1974 at Hadar, Ethiopia
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By around 2.5 million years ago a more recent ancestor ____ ___ or 'man the toolmaker' appears to have evolved.
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homo habilis
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What was homo habilis?
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was an individual whose larger brain size enabled it to manufacture simple stone tools
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_____ ____, which evolved around 1.5 million years ago, is the ancestor who looked a good deal like a modern human.
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homo erectus
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____ ___ was taller than ___ ___, more robust and had a larger brain.
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homo erectus homo habilis
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Fossils of the "ape man" and Homo habilis have been found only where?
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Africa
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Examples of homo erectus haven been found where?
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in the far east and china
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The belief is that these other parts of the world were populated by the homo erectus because?
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they left Africa
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By the time modern man appeared there is evidence of what?
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rapid population growth around the globe
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What are the two theories of how the homo sapiens were able to spread?
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1. eve hypothesis 2. out of africa model
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What is the eve hypothesis?
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it states that homo sapiens developed first in Africa descending from a single woman and then spread around the world between 100 and 200,000 years ago
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What does the eve hypothesis imply?
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that all modern people are ultimately of African descent
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What is the out of africa model?
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that modern humans evolved in africa between 200,000 to 100,000 years ago, with members of one branch leaving africa about 80,000 years ago. These emigrants spread to the rest of the world, replacing other Homo species already there such as neanderthals and homo erectus.
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What was a possible migration route for homo sapiens?
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beringia land bridge
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How did native americans record their history?
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orally
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How did native americans trade?
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barter economy
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How did the native americans use land?
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it was for all to use and not to be owned
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What are four sophisticated civilizations in north, central, and south america?
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1. Olmecs 2. Mayas 3. Incas 4. Aztecs
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Where did the Mayas exist?
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Central america
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Where did the Incas exist?
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Peru
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Where did the aztecs exist?
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Mexico
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Why were the olmecs, mayas, incas, and aztecs considered a sophisticated civilization?
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1. elaborate cities w/out use of simple technology 2. Astronomical observations 3. Iron tools and weapons 4. Viable political systems
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When did humans begin to farm?
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10,000-6,000 BC
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sophisticated civilizations used advance agricultural practices like _____ to feed large populations.
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maize
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In the early north americans, maize, squash, bean cultivation reached southeast around when?
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A.D. 100
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In early north americans, what was the 3 sister farming?
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bean, squash, maize
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the in early north americans, the 3 sister farming produced food for what three native american clans?
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1. Creek 2. Choctaw 3. Cherokee
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In the early north americans, what area had a less dense population allowing european colonizers to subdue North Americans with ease?
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North and East of Pueblos
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How did most north american people live?
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most people lived in small, scattered, and semi permanent settelements
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The north american people, who did the crop work?
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women
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In the north american people, who did the hunting, fishing, and cleared land?
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The men
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In the north american people, they formed what kind of cultures?
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matrilineal cultures (power and possessions passed down through female lines)
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North american people had no desire to do what?
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manipulate nature aggressively
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How many north americans where there upon european arrival?
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about 4 million
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What are some sophisticated civilizations in north america?
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cahokia Hopewell Anasazi
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Why was cahokia a sophisticated civilization?
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They were around the mississippi river valley and had a population over 40,000. They emerged as a trading and political center
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Why was hopewell a sophisticated civilization?
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because they flourished by rivers
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Why was anasazi a sophisticated civilization?
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because they were cliff dwellers and they used 3 sister farming
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Farming in africa, the first farming villages appeared along the nile river around when ?
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5,000 BC
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Farming in Africa, what civilization arose along the nile river about 3.500 BC?
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egyptain
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What was so great about the nile river?
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it brought in water all year round and annual flooding irrigates the shores leaving rich, fertile silt ideal for crop growing
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In egyptain, civilization, by about 3,000 years bce the fertile sediments left by the annual flooding of the nile left a long strip of arable land supporting how many people?
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an estimated 1.8 million
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In egyptian civilization, the formation of Egypt as a unified state came when the regions known as upper and lower egypt were united by ___ who established the ____ ____.
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Menes first dynasty
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Egyptian civilzation, the rulers of ancient egypt, know as _____, where regarded as gods on earth.
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pharaohs
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in egyptian civilization, there were 3 major periods called kingdoms. What were the 3?
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1. Old kingdom 2. middle kingdom 3. New kingdom
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in egyptian civilization, what is the old kingdom?
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these years see the building of the first pyramids
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in egyptian civilization, what is the middle kingdom?
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the country's administration reorganized under menthuhotep, who based his capital at Thebes
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in egyptian civilization, what is the new kingdom?
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-amenhotep 1 began a new period of expansion into Nubia and Palestine -Queen hathsepsut ruled for two prosperous decades
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In egyptain society, was in patrilineal or matrilineal?
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patrilineal
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What was the heiarchy in egyptain society?
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kings, vizer (executive head of bureaucracy), warriors, priests, merchants, artisans, peasants
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in egyptian society, women were able to do what?
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1. own property 2. Managed household slaves 3. educated their children 4. Held public office 5. Serves as priests 6. operated businesses
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in egyptian society, they had what kind of religion?
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polytheistic
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in egyptian society, what are some gods they believed in?
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Re- the sun god Osiris- god of the nile
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In egyptian society, they believed in what?
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immortality (this is why they had elaborate funerals)
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What are three other african civilizations?
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1. kush (nubia) 2. Meroe 3. Axum
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The _____ were first based in karma, and then at napata- both towns in what is now northern Sudan.
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kushites
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in nubian civilization, ____ was an advanced society and archeological evidence shows that ceramics were being produced by 8,000BC-earlier than Egypt.
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Kerma
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In Nubian civilization, ____ was rich with minerals such as stones needed for the building of temples and tombs, and gold needed for jewelry
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Nubia
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In Nubian civilization, they had what resources?
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1. the resources for the smelting of iron and ore 2. water from the nile and wood from acacia trees to make charcoal
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in the Nubian Civilization, in about 600 BCE the capitol of the Kushite kingdom was moved from Napata to ____.
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Meroe
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The kingdom of Axum was located where?
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Northern Ethiopia
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The people of Axum were accomplished what?
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Farmers
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Who was the queen of Axum?
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Queen Sheba
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The aksumite religion came from the Arabic religion which believed what?
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that the gods controlled the natural forces of the universe
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What religion did the axum people eventually convert to?
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Christianity
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Over three thousand years ago, there was two important developments in west africa. What were they?
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1. long distance trade 2. ability to manipulate stone, clay, and metals
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What is the theory of how Ancient Ghana came to be?
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number of clans of the soninke people came together under a leader with semi divine status, caked Dinga cisse.
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How did ancient ghana derive its power and wealth>
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from gold
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In ancient ghana, what animal help boost transportation of goods?
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camels
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Why did ancient Ghana decline?
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1. Because the king lost his trading monopoly 2. A drought
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When did Mali come into existence?
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mali emerged against the back drop of a declining of Ghana under the dynamic leadership of Sundiata of Keita clan
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In mali, how did sundiata rise to power?
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by defeating the king of the sosso-soumaoro (the sorcerer king)
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In mali, sundiata brought all the ____ clan rulers under his leadership, declaring himself over all of Mansa.
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Mandinka
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In mali, sundiata also took what?
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Timbuktu from Tuareg and transformed it into a substantial city, a focus for trade and scholarship
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When did mali reach its peak?
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In the 14th century
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In mali, _____ ____ was immortalized in the descriptions of Arab writers, when he made his magnificent pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324
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Mansa Musa
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What is the downfall of mali?
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a combination of weak and ineffective rulers and increasingly aggressive raids by Mossi neighbors and Tuareg Berbers gradually reduced the power of mali
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The empire of songhai, the wealth and power of songhay came be traced back to what?
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sorko fishermen who were skilled canoeists, living along the Niger, south east of Gao
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The empire of Songhai, in the fifteenth century songhay rose to pre-eminence under who?
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Sonni Ali the Great
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Sonni Ali the great's military forces consisted of what?
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Calvary of expert horsemen and fleets of canoes
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After Sonni Ali's death one of his generals, ____ ___, seized power in 1493.
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Mohammed Ture
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Mohammed Ture was a devout what?
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Muslim of Soninke origin
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who brought Songhay to its height of its power?
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Mohammed Ture (trade improved)
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In the late 16th century, Songhay slid into what?
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civil war
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Songhay's demise was caused by what?
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environmental changes that lead to droughts and diseases
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In west African society and culture, most were what?
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farmers
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In west African society and culture, they lived in extended families called what?
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lineages
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In west African society and culture, generally there was 1 lineage per village. Was it the women or mens lineage?
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women
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In west African society and culture, they believed that lineages came from what?
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mythical persoange
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In west African society and culture, in all societies, what was passed from one person to the other?
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rank and property
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In west African society and culture, depending on the ethnic group, they were either ___ or ____.
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matrilineal patrilineal
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In west African society and culture, What happened when it was matrilineal?
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property was passed through female but controlled by the men
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In west African society and culture, was there private ownership of land?
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yes, but it generally worked communally
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Women, in general, who dominated who in Africa?
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men dominated women
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Women, it was common for men to have how many wives?
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two or more wives
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Women, west african women also enjoyed more freedom than who?
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european or arab women
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What is Sande?
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A secret society for women
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What did women do in Sande?
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it taught sex education to girls and initiate them into adulthood
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What is poro?
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male secret society
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Who were considered royals in africa?
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nobles, warriors, and bureaucrats
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Who were considered lower classes in africa?
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blacksmiths, butchers, tanners, and oral historians called griots
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Where was slavery most common in africa?
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in the savannah region
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West Africans held war captives including whom?
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Men, women, and children
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in Islamic regions, masters were obligated to their slaves like what?
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guardians
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In non islamic regions, the children of slaves gained what kind of legal protection?
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the right not be sold away from their native lands
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Slaves who served in royal courts or the armies often had power over what?
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Free people and could acquire property
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Slaves and peasant farmers shared the same living conditions as their what?
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Masters
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Slavery is west africa societies served as a means of what?
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assimilation
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What was the main cause of slavery in west african society?
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war
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African art and music was related to what?
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religious practices
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Africans excelled in what?
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wood carving and sculpture
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What musical interments were africans good at playing?
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drums, xylophones, bells, flutes, and mbanzas
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What were prose tales?
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aimed to entertain and teach a lesson
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The africans literature was focused on what?
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small characters "tricksters" who were pitted against two larger beasts
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When the tales from africa reached america they becomes tales of what?
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for the struggle between slaves and powerful white masters
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