User:Icem4k/work space 14: Difference between revisions

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History of Zambia (Pre-1888)
==Early history==
That archaic humans were present in Zambia at least 200,000 years ago was shown by the discovery of the Broken Hill skull in [[Kabwe]] in 1921 - this was the first human fossil ever discovered in Africa.<ref>http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/collections-at-the-museum/museum-treasures/broken-hill-skull/index.html</ref>


The earliest known modern humans to live in the territory of modern-day Zambia were the Khoisans. They were bushmen, [[hunters and gatherers|hunter-gatherers]] who lived a [[nomadic]] life, with [[stone age]] technology. Mainly they collected fruit and nuts, but they also hunted [[antelope]] and other animals.
The Khoisans were the only inhabitants of most of Zambia until the 4th century, when  [[Bantu peoples|Bantu]] started to migrate from the north. They had far more developed technology - they were [[farmers]] and had [[Iron (material)|iron]] and [[copper]] tools and weapons, as well as knowledge of [[pottery]]-making. They lived in small [[self-sufficient]] villages of wattle-and-daub huts, growing [[sorghum]] and [[beans]], as well as keeping [[cattle]] and [[goats]].
Since the early farmers practised [[slash and burn]] agriculture, they had to constantly move further south when the [[soil]] was exhausted. The [[indigenous peoples|indigenous]] khoisans were either killed, [[Cultural assimilation|assimilated]] into the new culture or displaced into areas not suitable for agriculture.
With the introduction of agriculture the population grew, and more and more land became cultivated. By the 11th and 12th centuries a more advanced society was beginning to emerge. Even though most villages still were self-sufficient, long distance [[trade]] was developing. Copper mining was intensified, and copper crosses were probably used as a [[currency]]. [[Ivory]] was an export, and [[cotton]] textiles an import. One of the best-known [[archaeology|archaeological]] sites for this period is [[Ing-ombe Ilede]] near [[Siavonga]] close to the [[Kariba Dam]], uncovered in 1960. The increase in trade resulted in larger political units and more complex social structures.

Latest revision as of 10:48, 1 December 2017