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The smelting and working of iron is arguably the best known among the pre-colonial technologies of Africa, and the continent is home to some of the world's oldest sites of ironworking.
10 months ago

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More from African History Extra

Stone towns on the Highveld of South Africa: an archaeological history of the Sotho-Tswana capitals (ca. 1450-1850)

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 month ago 16 votes
The currencies and monetary systems of pre-colonial Africa

A bewildering variety of currencies circulated freely in the various states and societies of Africa during the pre-colonial period.

2 months ago 14 votes
A forgotten African empire: the history of medieval Kānem (ca. 800-1472)

A century before Mansa Musa’s famous pilgrimage, the political and cultural landscape of medieval West Africa was dominated by the empire of Kānem.

2 months ago 26 votes
Online resources for African history: links to African collections held at 33 Western Museums

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.

2 months ago 26 votes
What did they write about? : An intellectual history of Timbuktu ca. 1450-1900.

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.

2 months ago 24 votes

More in history

Vintage Posters for The Royal Court Theatre

Founded by the English Stage Company (ESC in 1956, London’s Royal Court Theatre focuses on contemporary theatre. The building on Sloane Square has put on plays since its completion in 1888. The venue truly arrived when on 8 May 1956, John Osborne’s Look Back in Anger opened – a play that marks the beginning of … Continue reading "Vintage Posters for The Royal Court Theatre" The post Vintage Posters for The Royal Court Theatre appeared first on Flashbak.

11 hours ago 2 votes
England’s Prison Population Problems

England’s Prison Population Problems JamesHoare Thu, 06/26/2025 - 08:58

22 hours ago 1 votes
8 Myths About the Greek God Ares

Ares was the Greek god of war and battle frenzy. He numbered among the twelve Olympian gods who ruled over the cosmos. While his sister Athena was a goddess of war, representing strategy and temperance, Ares represented battle lust and the horrors of war. He was often followed into battle by his children and […]

2 days ago 1 votes
On The Shortness of Life

Seneca’s Advice for Dealing with Death

2 days ago 1 votes
Who Were the Desert Fathers (& Mothers)?

The Desert Fathers appeared on the Christian historical scene in the third century CE. Saint Anthony is often considered the most notable among them, though he was not the first. The Desert Fathers were committed and dedicated believers who chose an ascetic lifestyle that would express their earnest beliefs. They decided not to associate […]

2 days ago 2 votes