jjares reviewed Ancient Africa: A Captivating Guide to Ancient African Civilizations, Such as the Kingdom of Kush, the Land of Punt, Carthage, the Kingdom of Aksum, and the Mali Empire with its Timbuktu on + 3275 more book reviews
First, I would really have appreciated a map of the Six Cataracts of the Nile at the start of this book. Once I found an online map, things were much more understandable. The map that was offered at the beginning of Chapter 1 never made a lick of sense to me. However, once I found online maps for the different kingdoms under discussion, the written discussion became clear.
We rarely hear about any African civilizations but the Egyptians in ancient times. This is an eye-opening discussion of the various groups that emerged, bloomed, and eventually collapsed. The Kush had a difficult relationship with the Egyptians. The Kingdom of the Kush, however, would eventually overtake the Egyptians and create a dynasty of their own.
I was surprised to see that there was confusion about the Land of Punt, even at this late date. DNA has made a world of difference in being able to place and date the flora and fauna, thus finding the location of Punt (in the horn of Africa, in the east of the continent).
The Phoenicians and Carthage are mentioned repeatedly in the Bible. However, this book explains how Carthage came to be and how they traded their way to fame and fortune. The Phoenicians built city-states that were fairly independent. The Phoenicians began in the region of Tyre (western Lebanon) and communities sprang up around the Mediterranean Sea because they created wealth through trading and seamanship. Tyre fell after an incredible 13-year siege by the Babylonians. Eventually, Carthage created great wealth through their extensive shipping endeavors. I thought the explanation of the Punic Wars to be quite clear and informative.
Adding the info on the Kingdom of Aksum, however, was of questionable value. The author explained on p. 79 that "the early history pf Aksum forces one to indulge in guessing and assuming, as the evidence is lacking."
The story of the travels of Abu Bakr on his great exploration of the Atlantic Ocean was amazing; he took 2000 ships of men and 1000 ships of food and water to explore the end of the Atlantic Ocean. None returned and they were assumed to have been lost at sea. It's surprising that there have been no unearthing of such a huge number of lost ships.
It is impressive to learn that it is through the works of Islamic scholars that we have the info we do of Africa's history.
We rarely hear about any African civilizations but the Egyptians in ancient times. This is an eye-opening discussion of the various groups that emerged, bloomed, and eventually collapsed. The Kush had a difficult relationship with the Egyptians. The Kingdom of the Kush, however, would eventually overtake the Egyptians and create a dynasty of their own.
I was surprised to see that there was confusion about the Land of Punt, even at this late date. DNA has made a world of difference in being able to place and date the flora and fauna, thus finding the location of Punt (in the horn of Africa, in the east of the continent).
The Phoenicians and Carthage are mentioned repeatedly in the Bible. However, this book explains how Carthage came to be and how they traded their way to fame and fortune. The Phoenicians built city-states that were fairly independent. The Phoenicians began in the region of Tyre (western Lebanon) and communities sprang up around the Mediterranean Sea because they created wealth through trading and seamanship. Tyre fell after an incredible 13-year siege by the Babylonians. Eventually, Carthage created great wealth through their extensive shipping endeavors. I thought the explanation of the Punic Wars to be quite clear and informative.
Adding the info on the Kingdom of Aksum, however, was of questionable value. The author explained on p. 79 that "the early history pf Aksum forces one to indulge in guessing and assuming, as the evidence is lacking."
The story of the travels of Abu Bakr on his great exploration of the Atlantic Ocean was amazing; he took 2000 ships of men and 1000 ships of food and water to explore the end of the Atlantic Ocean. None returned and they were assumed to have been lost at sea. It's surprising that there have been no unearthing of such a huge number of lost ships.
It is impressive to learn that it is through the works of Islamic scholars that we have the info we do of Africa's history.
