African Empires Vocab Review

Word used by historians to describe the 400 different ethnic groups from the eastern, central, and southern regions of Africa

• Ethiopia

• Great Zimbabwe

• Bantu

• Sahel

 An open grassland with scattered trees

• Savannah

• Rift

• Sahel

• Griots

Describes a society in which leadership passes from fathers or grandfathers to sons, grandsons, or nephews 

• Matrilineal

• Extended Family

• Animism

• Patrilineal

Silent barter

• West African storytellers

• Word used by historians to describe the 400 different ethnic groups from the eastern, central, and southern regions of Africa

• A process of  in which people exchange goods without contacting each other directly

  
  

• The belief that bodies of water, animals, trees and other natural objects have spirits

Oral History

• A spoken record of past events

•  West African storytellers

• The belief that bodies of water, animals, trees and other natural objects have spirits

• A system of social organization based on family ties

Griots

• A process of  in which people exchange goods without contacting each other directly

• The belief that bodies of water, animals, trees and other natural objects have spirits

• West African storytellers

• A spoken record of past events

Matrilineal

• Society in which, even though men still serve as leaders, leadership passes down through the mother’s family 

  
  

•  A family group that includes the father, mother, children, and close relatives

• Describes a society in which leadership passes from fathers or grandfathers to sons, grandsons, or nephews 

• The belief that bodies of water, animals, trees and other natural objects have spirits

Extended Family

• A family group that includes the father, mother, children, and close relatives

•  A system of social organization based on family ties

•  A long, deep valley formed by the movement of the earth’s crust 

• Describes a society in which leadership passes from fathers or grandfathers to sons, grandsons, or nephews 

 Local African customs blended with religious teachings

• Griots

• Silent barter

• Bantu

• Coptic Christianity

Kingdom formed by the descendants of the people of Aksum 

• Great Zimbabwe

• Ethiopia

• Bantu

• Sahel