More from African History Extra
The eastern plateau of South Africa, known as the Highveld, is dotted with the ruins of numerous stone towns founded at the end of the Middle Ages.
A bewildering variety of currencies circulated freely in the various states and societies of Africa during the pre-colonial period.
A century before Mansa Musa’s famous pilgrimage, the political and cultural landscape of medieval West Africa was dominated by the empire of Kānem.
Up to 90% of Sub-Saharan Africa’s material cultural legacy is kept outside of the continent, according to a French government-commissioned 2018 report by Senegalese economist Felwine Sarr and French historian Bénédicte Savoy.
No single body of primary sources in the literary heritage of West Africa has attracted as much attention and attained as much celebrity as the fabled manuscripts of Timbuktu.
More in history
Vibia Perpetua was a Roman noblewoman who converted to Christianity early in the 3rd century CE. Her refusal to worship a Roman god resulted in her arrest and, ultimately, her execution in 203 CE. Only 22, with a baby son, she kept a diary chronicling her last days in prison, a diary which represents […]
Did It Matter That Elizabeth I Was a Woman? JamesHoare Thu, 09/04/2025 - 08:50
In 1982, BBC Southwest broadcast The Colour Black, a documentary about the colour black (natch.) made by The Stranglers’ Hugh Cornwell and Jet Black. Cornwell says they “were asked to put together a piece about the colour black for an arts programme called RPM“. Presented by Andy Batten-Foster, RPM was short for Rectangular Picture Machine. … Continue reading "The Stranglers Present The Colour Black And Other Worlds, 1982" The post The Stranglers Present The Colour Black And Other Worlds, 1982 appeared first on Flashbak.
In antebellum New York City, a rivalry between Shakespearean stage actors spiraled out of control. Supporters of the actors violently clashed in the streets in front of the Astor Place Opera House in May 1849, leading to nearly two dozen dead, 150 wounded, and 177 arrested. How do we make sense of this event? […]
Playing God: Mossad’s Murder of Achmed Bouchiki JamesHoare Wed, 09/03/2025 - 08:50