African History Extra

The Swords of Ògún: West Africa’s God of Iron and “Vulcan of Black People”

Iron and iron weapons have long been associated with power and divinity across many ancient societies.

Oct 11 • isaac Samuel

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What Did Africans Know About The Outside World?

On British “Spies” and News from India

Oct 4 • isaac Samuel

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September 2026

The Textile Industry of pre-colonial Southern Nigeria (c.1500-1900)

From Yorubaland and Benin to Nupe and Igboland.

Sep 28 • isaac Samuel

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The Wheel in the Ancient Sahara: Africa’s Forgotten Chariots

The Sahara is one of the most dynamic zones of interaction in human history.

Sep 20 • isaac Samuel

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Ancient African Monks: The Christian period in Egypt and North-East Africa (c. 50-642 CE)

Christianity reached Africa soon after the rise of the religion, spreading first to Egypt and later across the Maghreb and southward into Aksum/Ethiopia…

Sep 13 • isaac Samuel

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The Ancient Empires of Africa: Imperial Governments and “Native” Rulers.

Ancient state structures in Africa included Empires, which carried with them all the complexity, inequalities, and political baggage inherent in such…

Sep 6 • isaac Samuel

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August 2026

The Gold Currency, Trade and Wealth of Medieval Ethiopia

Gold was one of the oldest metals worked by ancient African societies.

Aug 30 • isaac Samuel

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The Migration of “Heretics” and Refugees To Africa During Late Antiquity

Africa was a haven for religious minorities (“heretics”), political exiles, and other refugees from beyond the continent during Late Antiquity.

Aug 23 • isaac Samuel

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The Lost City of Malindi in Global and African History (c. 850-1890 CE)

Journal of Africans cities: Chapter 22

Aug 16 • isaac Samuel

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Ancient Expeditions to Central Africa and the Circumnavigation of the Continent

The ancient world was a far more interconnected place than is commonly recognised.

Aug 9 • isaac Samuel

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The White Masks of Gabon: “Foreign” symbolism in Traditional African sculpture.

Among the most refined works of African art are the distinctive white masks of southern Gabon in Central Africa.

Aug 2 • isaac Samuel

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July 2026

The African origins of Abolition: African Anti-Slavery Laws in the Atlantic World.

Abolitionism succeeded thanks to the struggles of many movements, some of which were global, while others were local and emerged from pre-existing…

Jul 26 • isaac Samuel

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