Transformations in Africa
| Essays on Africa's Later Past |
The essays contained in this
book are important reminders of the dynamic character of Africa's
later past. Rather than the image of a continent woken from a
timeless sleep by the intrusion of European colonialism, a concept
that dies hard in the Western world's imagination. We are given
a series of insights into major elements of change over the last
few thousand years and some indication of the interplay of change
and continuity during that period. The capacity for adaptation
shown by hunter-gatherers, the shift to food production, the
profound impact of cattle pastoralism, the development of cultural
complexity, the growth of precolonial African urbanism, the fundamental
role of climatic change, the appearance of iron-working technology,
the proliferation of trading networks, the increasing level of
interaction with the outside world and the impact of European
expansion are a few examples of the many transformations that
took place during the later prehistoric and early historical
period in Africa. Each contributor presents a discussion arising
from his or her own research, throwing important light on some
of the multi-faceted complexity of Africa's later past. These
essays suggest the necessity for much more research into many
aspects of Africa's past, for it is clear that there is still
much to be learned on many important subjects.
Graham Connah is Emeritus Professor of Archaeology at the University of New England, in Armidale, New South Wales, and a Visiting Fellow at the Australian National University in Canberra.