The Kingdom of Kongo: A Capital, a Court and an Atlantic World
From Mbanza Kongo’s royal court to raffia workshops, Christian scholarship and Atlantic diplomacy, the kingdom’s history reveals centuries of African government, creativity and struggle.
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African History
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Read the article: The Kingdom of Kongo: A Capital, a Court and an Atlantic World
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Songhai and Gao: An Empire Built Around the Niger
Read the article: Songhai and Gao: An Empire Built Around the NigerGao’s history brings together river transport, farming, royal ambition and Islamic learning. Archaeology, written records and oral performance reveal how the Songhai Empire developed, how its…
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Mapungubwe: Farming, Gold and Power in Southern Africa
Read the article: Mapungubwe: Farming, Gold and Power in Southern AfricaMapungubwe’s sandstone hill was the centre of a thirteenth-century African state. Fields, livestock, traded beads and skilled metalwork reveal the society behind its famous gold rhinoceros.
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Dahomey and Abomey: The Palaces That Recorded a Kingdom
Read the article: Dahomey and Abomey: The Palaces That Recorded a KingdomAbomey’s palaces preserve histories of craftsmanship, royal authority, women’s political and military service, and the violence of slave trading and colonial conquest. Objects, oral testimony and…
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Aksum: An African Kingdom Written in Stone and Gold
Read the article: Aksum: An African Kingdom Written in Stone and GoldTrade, royal coinage and religious change connected Aksum’s African highlands to the wider ancient world. Its coins and inscriptions reveal rulers presenting their authority through different…
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The Kingdom of Benin: A City, a Court and the Making of Edo History
Read the article: The Kingdom of Benin: A City, a Court and the Making of Edo HistoryThe Kingdom of Benin grew around an Edo royal capital in present-day Nigeria. Its earthworks, court institutions and extraordinary artworks reveal a history of political ambition,…
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Asante Architecture: The Courtyards, Crafts and Shrines That Preserve a Kingdom’s History
Read the article: Asante Architecture: The Courtyards, Crafts and Shrines That Preserve a Kingdom’s HistoryAround Kumasi, surviving Asante shrine buildings preserve a distinctive architecture of courtyards, earthen walls and symbolic reliefs. Their history connects skilled makers and religious communities with…
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Lalibela: The Churches Carved into an Ethiopian Landscape
Read the article: Lalibela: The Churches Carved into an Ethiopian LandscapeLalibela’s churches preserve centuries of Ethiopian craftsmanship, religious imagination and change. Archaeology complicates the familiar story of a single royal building campaign, while the carved spaces…
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Kilwa Kisiwani: An African City in the Indian Ocean World
Read the article: Kilwa Kisiwani: An African City in the Indian Ocean WorldKilwa’s merchants, builders and rulers helped shape the Indian Ocean world. Its coral architecture, copper coins and maritime archaeology reveal an African city whose connections reached…
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Ile-Ife: Yoruba Art, Kingship and the Life of an African City
Read the article: Ile-Ife: Yoruba Art, Kingship and the Life of an African CityIle-Ife’s sculptures belong to a wider history of workshops, trade, spiritual authority and urban life. Archaeology is revealing the glassmakers and built spaces behind a city…