Overview
LAST Assignments
Focusing specifically on your the Topical / or Civilization selection; create an (8) eight-page Paper or PowerPoint reflecting on the historical and cultural aspects of that State, Kingdom of Empire BEFORE European Arrival. Paper should be based on the topic you have been assigned
DUE DATE: DEC 22, 2025
I was assigned The Zulu Culture of South Africa
Please note this project can be submitted as a regular Paper or A PowerPoint Presentation
PROJECT PAPER FORMAT*:
1. PAGE 1: INTRODUCTION
2. PAGE2: OVERVIEW OF AIM / SUBJECT MATTER: (ex: People, Geography, Political System, Economy, Religion, Arts, Timeline
3. PAGE 3-5 INDIVIDUALS EVENTS THAT ARE CENTRAL TO YOUR TOPIC
4. PAGE 6: SUMMARY AND DISCUSSION OF THESTATES, KINGDOM, EMPIRE YOU HAVE SELECTED
5. PAGE7: ILLUSTRATIONS/ MAPS
6. PAGE 8 : REFERNCES : FOOTNOTES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY, SUGGESTION: USE THE WEBSITE KNIGHTCITE TO FORMAT YOUR REFERENCE SOURCES: https://www.calvin.edu/library/knightcite/?
• *IF YOU ARE MAKING A POWERPOINT PLEASE REPLACE “PAGES” WITH “SLIDES”
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PART TWO:
THERE ARE Two Final Requirement
- The Term Paper
- And the Final Exam; The Final Exam consist of
Part 1; Focus Essay
Part 2: Identify the Rulers
- Part 3: Essays ( You are to select four of the topics in Bold Print) and write a "brief" essays on each ( Min essays ; Three Paragraphs)
AFRICAN CIVILIZATION FINAL EXAM, FALL 2025
Part 1:
FOCUS: The civilizations of pre-colonial Africa were diverse across the continent: Common conceptions about African history that often appear generally revolve around the themes of diversity, pre-colonial complexity, and the nature of historical interactions with the outside world.
Select one of the major kingdoms discuss in the terms modules and write a detailed essay on civilization including: geography, in terms of spirituality/religion, architecture, laws, arts, military, and Marriage, Economics, Matriarchal or Patriarchal System of Culture Development and Power and Control in the culture.
Part II
Identify the Following Rulers:
1. Endubis
2. Sundiata Keita
3. Musa Keita (Mansa Musa)
4. Amenhotep III
5. Taharqa
6. Ezana
7. Oba Ewuare
8. Sonni Ali
9. Oba Oduduwa
10. Queen Nzinga
Part III
ESSAYS
Select Four Topics and Write a Detailed Essay
Ancient Civilizations: Key details about early empires like Kush-Meroe, Axum, and Egypt (e.g., Pharaoh Hatshepsut, Akhenaton, King Tut).
Major West African Kingdoms: The history and significance of empires such as Ghana, Mali (especially Mansa Musa), and Songhai, and the impact of Islam on these regions.
Africa is mostly jungle or desert: The continent has a wide variety of environments, including savannas, rainforests, deserts, and even snowy mountains, not just a uniform landscape.
Africans are a single "race" or share one "African" language/culture: Africans exhibit immense physical and cultural diversity and do not share a single "African" language. The term "tribe" is often considered problematic in academic settings as it oversimplifies complex ethnic identities and carries colonial connotations.
Wildlife roams freely in urban areas: While Africa is known for its wildlife, animals are generally contained within game reserves and national parks, not typically found on city streets.
Africa had no history or civilization before Europeans arrived: This is perhaps the most fundamental myth. Final exams will likely require students to provide specific examples of sophisticated, complex ancient African civilizations and empires, such as the Kingdom of Kush, Axum, Great Zimbabwe, Mali, and Songhai, which flourished for centuries with advanced systems of governance, trade, and culture.
Africans had no literary or philosophical traditions:Oral traditions (like the West African griots) were vibrant and complex methods of preserving history and literature, alongside written traditions in places like ancient Egypt and Ethiopia.