Chapter 11: Early Societies in West Africa

What theory did the discovery of Jenne-jeno prove wrong?

Cities did not exist in West Africa until outsiders came in.

Why did people of West Africa trade with people from different areas?

Each vegetation zone had different resources.

How did villages form in early West Africa?

Family-based communities joined together for help.

What changes did the development of iron tools bring?

Farmers could clear land and grow crops more efficiently. Villages could produce surpluses to trade for other goods. People could freely engage in weaving and metalworking.

Which of the following is true about the Niger River?

It is the longest river in all of West Africa.

In early West Africa, what city, surrounded by a large wall, was located where the Niger River and Bani River meet?

Jenne-jeno

What was one benefit of becoming part of an empire in Early West Africa?

Kings provided protection for conquered territory.

Why are historians unable to study written sources from early West African societies?

Most of the period has no written records.

The area of semidesert that is both south of the Sahara and has mild vegetations is called the...?

Sahel

Which of the following is a way rulers of the West African kingdom became wealthy?

They collected taxes from their brought and sold goods. They raised armies and conquered other trading areas. They collected tributes from other rulers or countries.

The most respected people in Jenne-jeno were ______, who also acted as political leaders, judges, and doctors.

blacksmiths

Early West African inhabitants that controlled trade routes became wealthy by...?

charging fees for trading activity

By around 4000 B.C.E., some people in West Africa formed farming communities made up of...?

extended families

Jenne-jeno's location made it a great place for...?

farming, fishing, and trading

The Sahara was not a good place for large settlements because it...?

is extremely dry

In West Africa between about 500 and 1600 C.E., Ghana, Songhai, and Mali were three _____ that arose.

kingdoms

The savanna is a vegetation zone of tall grasses and trees. This is due to its...?

long rainy season

What are the Nok, a people from West Africa during 500 B.C.E., known for?

mastering ironworking

West Africa's geography influenced the__________ that developed there.

patterns of trade

In early West Africa, major rivers, such as the Niger River, functioned as...?

trading routes

Kingdoms in West Africa relied both on local trade and...?

trans-Saharan trade