Zimbabwe's "Stone" Civilization

By the Middle Ages an advanced and complex African civilization existed in the southern African region where modern Zimbabwe is situated. This is evidenced by ruins of unique, carefully hewn dry stone at the site commonly referred to as the Great Zimbabwe (or "stone buildings") as well as other smaller sites in Regina, Dhlo-Dhlo, and Nalatale. Named after the ruins, the modern nation, Zimbabwe essentially means, "House of Stone" and is derived from the Shona phrase dzimba dza mabwe. Aside from these outstanding stone buildings, stone-age implements and pebble tools have also been found in the area, further indication of human habitation for many centuries. (Read more)

Mali's Historic Universities

By the 12th century, Timbuktu, in modern-day Mali, West Africa, became a celebrated center of Islamic learning and a commercial establishment. The thriving city had three universities-Sankore University, Jingaray Ber University, and Sidi Yahya University-and an estimated 180 Quranic schools. The leading center of learning in West Africa at that time, Sankore University was first built by Mandika people around the 12th century and is located in the northeast district of Timbuktu. The Moors and Tuareg Sanhaja who settled in the Sankore district around the 13th century also contributed significantly to the intellectual life of the city. Sidi Yahya University was built by Mohammed Naddi, one of the governors of the city appointed by the Mandika Dynasty. (Read more)

The African Influence on Picasso's Art

Since the 15th century, and at a time when capitalism was on the rise, European painting and sculpture largely focused on achieving a naturalistic representation of the physical world, one in which there would be an accurate (or near-accurate) depiction of things, people, scenes, and an environment dominated by material wealth. (Read more)

The Dogon and the Sirius Star: Fact or Coincidence?

With a population of about 300,000, the Dogon are an ethnic group located mainly in the administrative districts of Bandiagara and Douentza in Mali, West Africa, and believed by some anthropologists and historians to be of Egyptian descent. Relatively unknown beyond West Africa, the Dogon are famous for their religious teachings that claim astral knowledge of the star system, Sirius, which is also linked with the Egyptian goddess Isis (Egyptians refer to Sirius as the "Dog Star"). Dating back thousands of years, this knowledge, which has largely been preserved through oral traditions, was only discovered by modern astronomers in the 19th and 20th centuries. Questions have therefore been raised as to the Dogon's source of information. (Read more)

The Yoruba Ibeji Sub-Culture

The contributions of Yoruba people to the advancement of art, drama, literature, folklore, and fabric design are commendable, but where they generate the most intrigue is in the rate at which they give birth to twins, Ibeji. Boasting a twin birth rate of 4.5-5 percent, the Yorubas are statistically ahead of any other ethnic or racial group worldwide, resulting in the creation of socio-religious and artistic belief systems that inform this phenomenon. (Read more)