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African History Extra

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Historic links between the Maghreb and West Africa: On the Sanusiyya and anti-colonialism.
The modern separation of Africa into a “Mediterranean” North and a “Sub-Saharan” South had little basis in the historical geographies and political…
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isaac Samuel
3
The medieval Knights of Ethiopia: a history of the Horse in the northern Horn of Africa (1000-1900CE)
Pre-colonial Africa was home to some of the oldest and most diverse equestrian societies in the world.
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isaac Samuel
6
Historic industries of pre-colonial Africa and the glassworkers of ancient Nubia
Significant strides have been made over the last decades in the study of the pre-colonial industries of Africa, especially regarding their emergence and…
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isaac Samuel
6
The ruined stone towns of medieval Somaliland and the empire of Adal (ca. 1415–1577)
At the end of the Middle Ages, a flourishing network of urban sites and stone settlements was integrated into the empire of Adal which covered large…
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isaac Samuel
2

May 2025

Demystifying the stone ruins of pre-colonial Africa
The architectural heritage of pre-colonial Africa includes numerous stone monuments and cities whose construction and function are sufficiently…
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isaac Samuel
6
An island bridge in the Indian Ocean: The history of Mayotte in the French Comoros (ca. 800-1841)
The Comoros archipelago, a natural stopover between the East African coast and Madagascar, was a crossroads for travelers and seafarers from across the…
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isaac Samuel
Navigable waterways in African history
Pre-colonial African coastal societies had extensive experience with seaborne navigation, which opened up connections between the continent and the rest…
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isaac Samuel
2
Stone towns on the Highveld of South Africa: an archaeological history of the Sotho-Tswana capitals (ca. 1450-1850)
The eastern plateau of South Africa, known as the Highveld, is dotted with the ruins of numerous stone towns founded at the end of the Middle Ages.
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isaac Samuel
2

April 2025

The currencies and monetary systems of pre-colonial Africa
A bewildering variety of currencies circulated freely in the various states and societies of Africa during the pre-colonial period.
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isaac Samuel
8
A forgotten African empire: the history of medieval Kānem (ca. 800-1472)
A century before Mansa Musa’s famous pilgrimage, the political and cultural landscape of medieval West Africa was dominated by the empire of Kānem.
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isaac Samuel
13
Online resources for African history: links to African collections held at 33 Western Museums
Up to 90% of Sub-Saharan Africa’s material cultural legacy is kept outside of the continent, according to a French government-commissioned 2018 report…
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isaac Samuel
3
What did they write about? : An intellectual history of Timbuktu ca. 1450-1900.
No single body of primary sources in the literary heritage of West Africa has attracted as much attention and attained as much celebrity as the fabled…
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isaac Samuel
7
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