{ "item_title" : "Kingdoms Before Colonization", "item_author" : [" Nia K. Adebari "], "item_description" : "Long before colonial borders divided the African continent, powerful kingdoms rose, extraordinary cities flourished, scholars preserved knowledge, engineers transformed landscapes, and merchants connected Africa to some of the world's most important trade networks.Kingdoms Before Colonization takes readers across thousands of years of African history through 50 carefully researched civilizations, cities, kingdoms, and centers of innovation.From the Nile Valley kingdoms of Egypt, Kush, and Aksum to the gold-rich empires of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai, this book explores the political systems, commercial networks, technologies, artistic traditions, intellectual centers, and remarkable urban communities that shaped societies across the continent.Travel through the manuscript libraries of Timbuktu. Examine the extraordinary metalwork of Igbo-Ukwu and Benin. Discover the vast stone architecture of Great Zimbabwe and the commercial power of Kilwa Kisiwani. Explore the irrigation systems of Engaruka, the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela, the royal institutions of Kongo and Asante, the fortified city of Harar, the Great Lakes kingdoms, and the maritime world of the Swahili coast.Rather than treating Africa as a single civilization or reducing its past to a handful of famous rulers, this book presents a continent of diverse peoples, environments, institutions, and historical experiences.Inside you will discover: - 50 detailed historical profiles spanning North, West, Central, East, and Southern Africa- The rise and development of major kingdoms, empires, city-states, and trading centers- African achievements in architecture, agriculture, metallurgy, navigation, government, scholarship, art, and commerce- The trans-Saharan, Red Sea, Nile, Atlantic, and Indian Ocean networks that connected African societies with one another and with the wider world- Archaeological evidence alongside written records and oral traditions- Clear explanations of historical questions where scholars continue to debate the evidence- 15 interior images supporting important places, technologies, landscapes, and material cultures- A continent-wide chronology, glossary, further-reading guide, source commentary, and detailed indexReaders will encounter familiar names such as Mali, Timbuktu, Benin, Aksum, and Great Zimbabwe alongside societies and cities that receive far less attention in popular history.Accessible enough for curious general readers while grounded in serious historical and archaeological research, Kingdoms Before Colonization offers a broader view of Africa before European colonial rule - one built around cities, ideas, institutions, craftsmanship, trade, political ingenuity, and the people who created them.For readers of African history, ancient and medieval history, archaeology, global history, and the history of human civilization, this book provides an engaging gateway into a past far richer and more interconnected than conventional narratives often suggest.", "item_img_path" : "https://covers2.booksamillion.com/covers/bam/9/79/816/487/9798164879457_b.jpg", "price_data" : { "retail_price" : "16.99", "online_price" : "16.99", "our_price" : "16.99", "club_price" : "16.99", "savings_pct" : "0", "savings_amt" : "0.00", "club_savings_pct" : "0", "club_savings_amt" : "0.00", "discount_pct" : "10", "store_price" : "" } }

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