Climate Zones of Africa HCPS非洲方面的气候带.ppt

Community Education and Initiation Both boys and girls were raised by their mothers until the age of six. After that boys and girls were educated in the areas in which they would be involved. Girls learned to be wives and mothers while boys learned how to hunt and farm. As they matured boys and girls took larger roles in the community. At puberty many groups held coming of age rituals where there was a physical ordeal of physical sign of the entrance into adulthood. Slavery Slavery was practiced in Africa since ancient times. Berber groups in North Africa frequently raided groups and took people into slavery. These captives were sold along the Mediterranean. Slaves could be people captured in war, debtors, and some criminals. Religious Beliefs Early African beliefs differed from place to place. One feature that many groups shared was the idea of a single creator god. Sometimes this god worked alone, or there may be lesser gods beneath that god. Diviners A way to communicate with the spirits or with the creator god was by using diviners. Diviners were people who would perform rituals. It was believed they had the power to foretell events and work with supernatural forces. Ancestors were also seen as an important link with the spiritual world. Changes Eventually the animistic beliefs were replaced in many places by Islam. This process occurred slowly through trade and conquest. Islam combined with native beliefs to form unique African forms of Islam. African Culture Early African culture has a rich artistic tradition. Artistic expression was frequently used as part of religious practice. The earliest forms of art were rock paintings. Later wood carving and clay and metal figures emerged. Masks and beading are also traditional forms of art. African Masks Benin Bronze In the 13th and 14th century metalworkers at Ife of the Yoruba people produced bronze and iron statues. In Benin in West Africa there was impressive work in bronze. Oral Tradition In the