Early Societies in West Africa

What is an artifact?

An item from the past

What is the main reason why people in different vegetation zones traded with each other?

Different zones had different stuff

Few large settlements developed in the Sahara because it was too ______.

Dry

What were the three Early Kingdoms of West Africa?

Ghana, Mali, and Songhai

Which product of West African was most important in the trade across the Sahara?

Gold

Which technology did the Nok people adopt as early as 500 B.C.E.?

Iron smelting

How did the Niger River encourage trade?

It was a major transportation route

Name a specific geographic factor that contributed to the growth of Jenne-jeno as a trading center.

Its location near the Niger River

Compared to the West African savanna, does the Sahel have more or less rainfall?

Less

What's an advantage of becoming part of an empire?

Protection from raiders

City grows rich from trade ---> ________________---> A kingdom is formed

Rulers conquer other places

The principal barrier to trade between Jenne-jeno and cities on the north coast of Africa was the ___.

Sahara

In which African vegetation zone was Jenne-jeno located?

The Savanna

In which vegetation zone in West Africa would you find yams, palm oil, and kola nuts?

The rainforest

From the discovery of Jenne-jeno, what did historians learn about the history of West Africa?

There were cities there

What did extended-family groups do for defense against dangerous floods or enemies?

They came together to form villages

Archaeologists found copper at Jenne-jeno. The nearest copper mines are 600 miles away. What does this indicate about the people of Jenne-jeno?

They traded over long distances

Archaeologists have found remains of high walls around one ancient West African community. What does this suggest about it?

They were afraid of being attacked

Why did extended-family groups first settle south of the Sahara?

To farm