African Civilizations

An Archaeological Perspective

Graham Connah

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Year: 2015
• Print ISBN:
  9781107011878
• Edition: 3
• eBook ISBN:
  9781316463970
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Archaeology
• Index: Social Sciences

This new revised edition of African Civilizations re-examines the physical evidence for developing social complexity in Africa over the last six thousand years. Unlike the two previous editions, it is not confined to tropical Africa but considers the whole continent. Graham Connah focuses upon the archaeological research of two key aspects of complexity, urbanism and state formation, in ten main areas of Africa: Egypt, North Africa, Nubia, Ethiopia, the West African savanna, the West African forest, the East African coast and islands, the Zimbabwe Plateau, parts of Central Africa and South Africa. The book's main concern is to review the available evidence in its varied environmental settings, and to consider possible explanations of the developments that gave rise to it. Extensively illustrated, including new maps and plans, and offering an extended list of references, this is essential reading for students of archaeology, anthropology, African history, black studies and social geography.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half-title
• Title page
• Copyright information
• Dedication
• Table of contents
• List of figures
• Preface and acknowledgements
• Chapter 1 The context
• Chapter 2 Origins: social change on the lower Nile
• Chapter 3 The Mediterranean frontier: North Africa
• Chapter 4 Sudanic genesis: Nubia
• Chapter 5 Isolation: the Ethiopian and Eritrean Highlands
• Chapter 6 Opportunity and constraint: the West African savanna
• Chapter 7 Achieving power: the West African forest and its fringes
• Chapter 8 Indian Ocean networks: the East African coast and islands
• Chapter 9 Cattle, ivory, and gold: social complexity in Zambezia
• Chapter 10 Central Africa: the Upemba Depression, Interlacustrine Region, and Far West
• Chapter 11 Settlement growth and emerging polities: South Africa
• Chapter 12 What are the common denominators?
• References
• Index