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Introduction
Civilization refers to the complex human systems in an area that contributes to the formation of a unique society. Its definition revolves around various issues involving cultural, social, and technological advances that point to a higher state of life among its occupants. Civilizations have developed from ancient times with archeologists finding evidence of previous communities that had advanced systems. Africa produced a significant number of archeological findings but has received little recognition in terms of its ancient progress structures. As a result, communities that lived in tropical areas do not receive the credit despite their role in advancing the understanding of human origins. As a result, despite the role of African civilizations in social development, its perception by researchers has limited its value in history.
Meaning of Civilization
Initially, the term ‘civilization’ was only perceived to include evidence of writing when describing ancient communities. This led to the exclusion of African examples since they lacked such evidence. From the implication of early archeologists, such as Childe and Wheeler, their definitions were valid only if cities were present (Connah 1987). However, their descriptions developed under the assumption that all parts of the world used the same systems. The comparison of Asian developments with African ones, thus, limited their value since it did not put weight to the circumstances of their individual struggles to advancement.
Apart from that, the majority of prescriptive definitions were abandoned due to their eccentric views. The difficulty to appropriately categorize the historical processes that led to the different sophistications, thus, required further discussions. However, in expanding the idea of civilizations, such historians as Renfrew brought about generalized definitions (Connah 1987). In this case, it brought confusion due to its vague nature that required further qualifications from other descriptions. Consequently, the focus on the processes leading to such changes took center stage, thus reducing the need to rely on definitions.
In recent times, the use of the word civilization has reduced, with many opting not to use it due to its connotations. Therefore, the subjective nature of its definitions can mislead others by implying the importance of some communities as compared to others in the present world. Therefore, the study of complex societies has risen in popularity to investigate the formation of states separately from the concept of urbanization (Connah 1987). This new trend, thus, concentrates on understanding how different societies emerged to have levels that defined their overall lifestyles.
Evidence of Early African Civilizations
The evidence of trading among different groups of people in various locations shows the presence of civilization. Port cities and market towns along the Indian Ocean coasts traded such items as swords, grains, and ivory. With traders coming from the Arabian Peninsula, these areas rich in resources developed to accommodate the increased demand for products. Evidence from the Bible further shows the Queen of Sheba, emanating from the Ethiopian region, took such goods as spices to King Solomon (Collins 2001). Economic empowerment, thus, also enabled the growth of their capabilities to expand and interact with other people. Trade, therefore, played an essential role in increasing interactions among the people in Africa.
Apart from that, the increasing populations in different regions led to a shortage of food, requiring the development of agriculture to sustain them. Communities living along the Nile developed food production techniques by farming produce, such as sorghum, millet, and various other plants (Connah 1987). With such advancements in agriculture, human populations thrived, leading to an evolution in their culture and social organization. Plant domestication, thus, formed part of an essential African achievement. So, agriculture proved to not only provide a source of food but also to be a source of economic empowerment through the exchange for other products.
Iron metallurgy also showed the development of the African continent concerning the increased specialization in making tools. Archeologists perceive the so-called ‘iron age’ as a crucial stage in African history due to its impact on the growth of settlements (Connah 1987). The evolving continent, thus, used iron to create not only useful tools but also weapons that may have contributed to their downfall. These tools opened the way for better methods of farming and also opened opportunities for trade with other groups around their areas. Therefore, this stage marked a new beginning for their civilization that opened up channels of more recent discoveries in and around their regions.
Significance of the Evidence
The evidence of African civilization enables anthropologists and archeologists to better understand the history and progress of the region. Evidence in archeology shows the presence of human beings on the continent as early as 2 million years ago (Connah 1987). However, the deterioration of proof, such as buildings and tools used by communities, makes it difficult to document their history. As a result, the existing evidence helps tell the African story showing the diversification to adapt to the different environmental conditions. The process of evolution, starting from their life as scavengers, hunters, and pastoralists to their life as city dwellers, show the impact of their environment on their present stature. With the vast land, understanding their evolution, thus, can explain their rise and decline over the years.
Additionally, the mystery surrounding a variety of aspects of the culture, such as architecture and engineering, requires a better understanding of the history of the continent. With a majority of maps and knowledge only representing the steps that researchers have made in investigating these concepts, most information lies in theoretical depictions of historians (Connah 1987). Therefore, understanding the evidence can help others to make conclusions based on facts, thus putting more focus on tangible data. It also provides the opportunity to increase the research into African history through new and advanced methods that were previously unavailable.
Conclusion
The definitions of civilization have ranged throughout history with anthropologists and archeologists measuring the complexity of society majorly through their social structure. Therefore, while it played an essential role in developing the region, the perception in historical fields downplayed their historical value. Early historians, such as Childe and Wheeler, mainly defined society as regions with cities. Furthermore, other definitions generalized the term making it impossible to differentiate it from other terms that described social organization. Evidence of African civilization has ranged from the presence of trade across the continent, the development of agricultural capabilities, and the adoption of iron metallurgy. Such evidence further outlines its role since it tells the story of the evolution over millions of years. Furthermore, the missing data of a considerable amount of the history of Africans also requires renewed efforts in developing a knowledge base. Therefore, when describing the term, Africa must feature adequately since the continent is akin to an incredible story of human advancement.
References
Collins, Robert. 2001. Documents from The African Past. Princeton: Markus Wiener Publishers.
Connah, Graham. 1987. African Civilizations – Precolonial Cities and States in Tropical Africa: An Archaeological Perspective. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
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