Review Sheet

Midterm Review Sheet/Study Guide
ANTH 220/Peoples and Cultures of Africa
Spring 2009/ Dr. Roberts

The exam will consist of multiple choice, true-false, matching questions, and probably one or two essays.
Please bring a #2 pencil. Thanks.

African Geography & Climates

In my introductory remarks what did I say about dichotomies in Africa, such as traditional/modern and urban/rural?
In lecture I spoke of economic islands in Africa. Why?
How does Africa compare with the U.S. and the rest of the world in terms of total landmass?
What is the ITCZ and why is it so important in Africa?
About how much of Africa lies within the tropics and what are the implications of this?
What role does disease play in distribution of population in Africa?
What role did colonialism play in defining contemporary African political geography?

Prehistory

Where did the first hominid species probably live and what made them so special?
Oldowan and Acheulian tool traditions - who made them? What were they used for?
What major cultural developments took place during the Middle Stone Age and which hominid species was/were responsible for them?
What happened in the Later Stone Age?
What was entailed in the Neolithic in Africa? Where were these developments occurring? When?
What was involved in the Bantu Expansion? Where did it occur and when?

African History Prior to European Intrusion

What are the possible sources of early Africa history? Why should we always be skeptical of them?
What's the difference between "free" and "fixed" texts and they types of societies in which they were found.
What were some early African kingdoms/empires? When did they exist? Where were they?
Understand the the importance of the trans-Saharan trade routes. What was being traded? Where? By whom?
What kinds of cultural and economic processes were occurring along the East African coast starting around 1000 AD? In what directions were the linkages going?
Be familiar with examples from West, East and Southern Africa in the video Caravans of Gold.
When did Islam arrive in Africa and why? How was it spread in Africa?
How widespread is Islam in Africa now and what are its fundamental bases?
What are some reasons for its popularity?
What is sharia?

The Slave Trade

What were the Portuguese up to in Africa beginning just prior to 1500AD?
How many Africans may have been forcibly removed from Africa in the trans Atlantic slave trade?
Where did they come from? How were they acquired? Why/how did this happen?
Be familiar with examples from the video The Slave Kingdoms.
What effects did the slave trade have locally in Africa?
Why did the slave trade end when it did?

Colonial Era

What forces led to "the scramble for Africa" in the 19th century?
What happened in Berlin in 1884-1885 and who took part?
What was the significance of this event Africa's future?
How did 19th century ideologies bolster European imperial acquisition?
What theories of empire were discussed in class and what were the differences between them?
Why did Europeans who went to Africa have to reinvent their own identity? How did those same people view African "tradition"?
What was the difference between direct and indirect rule?
How did the colonial powers go about making African colonies self-sustaining?

Achieving Independence
Case Study of Kenya: The Historical Origins of Contemporary Problems

Why was World War II such a pivotal event in 20th century African history and how did it condition the timing of African nationalist movements?
Why was the liberation struggle so bloody in some places, such as Kenya, yet relatively peaceful in other colonies, such as Ghana?
Why did the British originally get involved in Kenya and how did this change over time?
What was Mau Mau really all about?
Who were the "homeguards" and what role did they play in Mau Mau?
Who was Jomo Kenyatta and how was he viewed by the colonial authorities?
In the end, who benefited from most from Kenya's independence from Britain and why?
How did the post-election violence in December 2007-February 2008 at least partly arise from historical factors of the colonial era?

Watch and Pray: A Portrait of Fante Village Life in Transition

Who are the Fante people and where do they live?
How did Fante traditionally make a living? How/why has this changed?
How are gender relations structured in Fante society? How/why has this changed?
How are family/kin relations structured in Fante society? How/why has this changed? .
What role does religion play in the lives of the Fante people?
What does Lundren say about tradition and modernization in the lives of Fante people today?