Along Niger River/Niger Valley (Jenne-jeno)
Jenne-jenno a dothers emerged as
clusters of economically specialized settlements surrounding a larger central town
had urban centers that operated without
coercive authority of state , according to archaeologists
boat along niger river donkey to the north and south
copper gold iron stones and salt exchanged for grain fish meats iron implements
other speciliazaitons
cotton weavers, potters, leather workers, griots (praise singers)
rural areas
farmerd tilled soil and raised animals but specialization occurred with fishing and rice cultivation
earliest specialized occupation of jenny jenno and others
iron smithing
niger cities represented
African alternative to oppressive state
urban centers here resemble
Norte Chico or Indus Valley
people sahara had
agricultural skillls, ironworking, domesticated animals
as west africa became more connected to north africa and mediterreanean , islam penetrated it,
it made a gradual but major culturual transformation submerging the decentralized life of the niger river valley
occupaitonal castes
jobs passed to children and only marry within group
where
middle sretches of niger river in west africa
decline
new historical patterns in west africa, number of empires expanded in region (ghana, mali, songhay, etc) because of flourishing of camel borne trans-saharan commerce.
indigenous west african commerce accompanied urbanization
niger supported agriculture and pottery but had no stone iron ore, salt, fuel
niger valley civilization
no corresponding state structure
what brought people from sahara into middle niger
prolonged dry period
niger valley different from egypt china roman axum because of
urban centers not encompassed within larger imperial system , cities without citadels
niger valley smiths
was revered
Jenne-jeno was a transshipment point in commerce
yes
