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The History of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai: Every Year: 200 BCE - 1901 CE
The history of Ghana, Mali and Songhai from 200 BCE-1901 CE. Special thanks to my team for all of the help! -All art, video editing and animation by Jabari Walker (Myself) -Base map, borders, and city locations expertly researched...
Article
The Camel Caravans of the Ancient Sahara
The camel caravans which crossed the great dunes of the Sahara desert began in antiquity but reached their golden period from the 9th century CE onwards. In their heyday caravans consisted of thousands of camels travelling from North Africa...
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Mansa Musa I
Mansa Musa I was the ruler of the Mali Empire in West Africa from 1312 to 1337. Controlling territories rich in gold and copper, and monopolising trade between the north and interior of the continent, Mali grew extremely wealthy. Mansa Musa...
Article
A Visual Glossary of Hindu Architecture
Adisthana - the decorative raised platform on which a temple is built. Alasa kanya - a decorative female figure. Amalaka - a large fluted stone disc placed on top of a Nagara tower taking its form from the amla or myrobalan...
Video
Ancient and Medieval Gold Trade in West Africa
Did you know that the Ghana king would automatically keep any gold nugget extracted that weighed between 25 grams and half a kilo? This video is all about the lucrative gold trade of ancient and medieval West Africa. West Africa was...
Image
Ghanaian Royal Procession
Artist's impression of a royal procession in the medieval Ghana Empire. Created by Amplitude Studios for the video game Humankind.
Collection
The Empires of West Africa
The ancient and medieval Mediterranean might have been a bustling stage of ever-changing empires but, across the inhospitable barrier of the Sahara Desert, West Africans were equally busy building up and toppling down their own kingdoms and...
Image
Akrafena with Shark-Skin Scabbard
An Akfrefena, a type of Ashanti state sword, with a sharkskin and antelope hide scabbard. Steel blade, with wooden handle, decorated with gold leaf. Ghana. 19th Century CE. 70 cm (27.4 in) x 7.5 cm (2.9 in). (Courtesy of the British Museum)
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Portuguese Empire
The Portuguese Empire was established from the 15th century and eventually stretched from the Americas to Japan. Very often a string of coastal trading centres with defensive fortifications, there were larger territorial colonies like Brazil...
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Hindu Architecture
Hindu architecture evolved over the centuries from simple rock-cut cave shrines to massive and ornate temples which spread across the Indian sub-continent and beyond, forming a canonical style which is still adhered to today in modern Hindu...