Across
- 6. The movement and dispersal of a people from their original homeland.
- 9. A major West African city in the Mali and later Songhai empires that became a major center of learning in medieval Africa.
- 11. A large group of related African languages (ex: Xhosa and Swahili).
- 13. The founder of the Mali Empire who established Mali's power in the 13th century and whose story was preserved through West African oral traditions.
- 14. A powerful West African empire that succeeded Mali as a major center of trade and controlled important territory along the Niger River.
- 18. A West African oral historian, storyteller, musician, and genealogist who preserved and passed down a society's history and traditions.
- 19. An approach that combines multiple academic fields, such as history, geography, and anthropology to understand a topic.
- 22. The world's largest hot desert, stretching across much of North Africa and serving historically as both a barrier and a trade route between North and West Africa.
- 23. The 14th-century Muslim ruler of the Mali Empire famous for his wealth and making Mali a center of trade and learning.
- 24. A powerful West African empire that grew from the legacy of Ghana and became famous for its wealth, trade networks, and Islamic scholarship.
- 25. A powerful West African kingdom known for its sophisticated political system, trade networks, and remarkable bronze and brass artwork.
Down
- 1. A 17th-century Queen of Ndongo and Matamba in Central Africa who resisted Portuguese expansion and efforts to control the region's people and slave trade.
- 2. The legal process by which an enslaved person is granted or purchases their freedom.
- 3. A system in which descent, inheritance, or family identity is traced through the mother's family line.
- 4. An early West African empire that became wealthy by controlling trans-Saharan trade, particularly the exchange of gold and salt.
- 5. Early human and human-like ancestors that developed in Africa and eventually gave rise to modern humans.
- 7. A series of ancient African kingdoms located along the Nile south of Egypt, including Kush, that developed powerful states and participated in regional trade.
- 8. A series of rulers from the same family who maintain political power over multiple generations.
- 10. People who traditionally survive by hunting animals, fishing, and gathering wild plants rather than relying primarily on agriculture.
- 12. A powerful Central African kingdom that established diplomatic and religious connections with Portugal in the late 15th century.
- 15. A 4th-century ruler of the Aksumite Empire who expanded the kingdom and is notable for adopting Christianity, making Aksum one of the earliest Christian states in Africa.
- 16. A major southern African trading state known for its tall stone walls.
- 17. The social relationships created through family, ancestry, marriage, and other forms of connection that organize many African societies.
- 20. A powerful queen mother of the Kingdom of Benin; immortalized in a famous ivory mask.
- 21. A semi-arid region of grasslands; became an important zone for trade and the development of West African states.