Africa is the second largest and second most populous continent in the world. Partially due to historic and modern depictions of Africa, which rarely extend past civil wars and famine, many in the west are oblivious to past advances and achievements of Africans. In fact, Africa has a rich history of wealth and splendor. Before the arrival of Europeans in the 1400’s, African civilizations had many great political, economic, and technological accomplishments. One of the ancient African civilizations whose achievements are not widely known is Aksum. The Axiumite Empire was an important international trading center, connecting trade routes along the coast of the Red Sea as well as ones overland (Document 1). Some notable achievements of the Axiumites include having their own alphabet and currency. Having their own currency was an instrumental tool in controlling foreign trade and commerce. Another remarkable creation of the Axiumites is the extraordinary rock-hewn churches that they carved out of mountains. These monolithic structures are unique and can be found nowhere else in the world.
Another powerful empire was Ghana. Ghana, at one time in its history controlled the Trans-Saharan gold-salt trade. This made its rulers extremely wealthy. According to an…show more content… Similar to Ghana, Mali’s economy was based on gold trade. As the empire expanded, a flourishing trade city emerged. This city, Timbuktu became a center for learning. According to document 5, the king sponsored education and the written word was valued more than other merchandise at the marketplace. This indicates that many people were literate, which is a sign of an advanced society. The Mali Empire attracted scholars from all over Europe, Asia, and West Africa. Arab travelers, such as Ibn Battuta were impressed by the security of the country and the citizen’s obedience of the laws (Doc
