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10.1: Chronology

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  EAST AFRICA SOUTH AFRICA WEST AFRICA

 

 

 

 

 

BEFORE THE COMMON ERA

(BCE)

200,000 – 100,000 BCE

 First behaviorally modern human emerged in Africa

__________________________

c. 7000 BCE

Beginnings of the Agricultural Revolution in Africa

   

c. 3000 BCE – 1500 CE

The Bantu expansions from eastern Africa across much of western and southern Africa

900s BCE

Legendary rule of Queen Makeda (Queen of Sheba)

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

COMMON ERA

(CE)

c. 800 BCE – 300 CE

Kingdom of Da’amat (Ethiopia)

   

c. 250 BCE

Founding of Djenne-Jeno, one of Africa’s first cities (Western Sudan)

   

c. 100 – 950 CE

The Empire of Aksum (Axum) (Ethiopia)

 

 

c. 300 CE 

Ghana emerged as a state (Western Sudan)

1000 – 1500 CE

Height of Swahili society (East Africa)

1200 – 1450 CE

Height of Great Zimbabwe (southern Africa/ Zimbabwe Plateau)

1235 CE

Sundiata Keita founded the Mali Empire (Western Sudan)

   

1324 – 1325 CE

Mansa Musa performed the hajj to Mecca (Western Sudan)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1482 CE

Portuguese adventurer, Diogo Cao, arrives at the mouth of the River Kongo.
First European contract with BaKongo

Early 1400s CE

Portuguese began to explore the Atlantic coast of West Africa; beginnings of the Age of Exploration

___________________________

1460s CE

Sunni Ali built the Songhai Empire (Western Sudan)

__________________________

1493 – 1528 CE

Askia the Great ruled during the Golden Age of the Songhai Empire (Western Sudan)

Early 1500s CE

The Portuguese built a Trading Post Empire in the Indian Ocean (East Africa)

____________________________

1591 CE

Moroccans invaded the Songhai Empire (Western Sudan)

c.1500 CE

Great Zimbabwe finally abandoned

 

1699 CE

The Omanis (allied with some Swahili rulers) seized Swahili city-states from the Portuguese (East Africa)

   

 

 

 

 

 

200,000 – 100,000 BP (Before Present) First behaviorally modern human emerged in Africa

c. 7000 BCE Beginnings of the Agricultural Revolution in Africa

c. 3000 BCE – 1500 CE The Bantu expansions

900s BCE Rule of Queen Makeda (Ethiopia)

c. 800 BCE – 300 CE Kingdom of Da’amat (Ethiopia)

c. 250 BCE Founding of Djenne-Jeno, one of Africa’s first cities (Western Sudan)

c. 100 – 950 CE The Empire of Aksum

c. 300 CE Ghana emerged as a state (Western Sudan)

c. 325 – 350 CE The rule of King Ezana (Aksum/Ethiopia)

c. 800 CE Ghana became an empire (Western Sudan)

1000 – 1500 CE Height of Swahili society (East Africa)

1200 – 1450 CE Height of Great Zimbabwe (southern Africa/ Zimbabwe Plateau)

1235 CE Sundiata Keita founded the Mali Empire (Western Sudan)

1324 – 1325 CE Mansa Musa performed the hajj (Western Sudan)

Early 1400s CE Portuguese began to explore the Atlantic coast of West Africa; beginnings of the Age of Exploration

1460s CE Sunni Ali built the Songhai Empire (Western Sudan)

1493 – 1528 CE Askia the Great ruled during the Golden Age of the Songhai Empire (Western Sudan)

Early 1500s CE The Portuguese built a Trading Post Empire in the Indian Ocean (East Africa)

1591 CE Moroccans invaded the Songhai Empire (Western Sudan)

1699 CE The Omanis (allied with some Swahili rulers) seized Swahili city-states from the Portuguese (East Africa)


This page titled 10.1: Chronology is shared under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Liana M Horovitz.

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