Up until 1350 A.D., about two-thirds of the world’s gold was supplied by West Africa. What changed that? In order to answer that question, you first need to know which West African civilizations flourished because of gold and its many natural resources. You will be introduced to the Ghananian and Malian Empires in this book. You will also read about how they influenced the development and progress of West Africa.

Up until 1350 A.D., about two-thirds of the world's gold was supplied by West Africa. What changed that? In order to answer that question, you first need to know which West African civilizations flourished because of gold and its many natural resources. You will be introduced to the Ghananian and Malian Empires in this book. You will also read about how they influenced the development and progress of West Africa.

Explores empires of medieval west Africa.

There is much to learn about ancient societies. In this collection of ebooks, you will learn about the ancient Africans. How did they live? What were their greatest legacies? If you visit Africa today, can you still see traces of ancient culture, arts and traditions? All these questions, and more, will be answered in this book. Happy reading!

..". a major addition to the literature on oral traditions." -- Journal of Religion in Africa This 750-year-old epic celebrates the exploits of the legendary founder of the Empire of Old Mali. It constitutes a virtual social, political, and cultural charter and embodies deep-rooted aspects of Mande cosmology. The fully annotated translation is accompanied by an introduction that provides a historical and contextual framework for understanding the recitation of this African epic.

A pillar of the West African oral tradition for centuries, this epic traces the adventures and achievements of the Mande hero, Sunjata, as he liberates his people from Sumaworo Kante, the sorcerer king of Soso, and establishes the great medieval empire of Mali. David Conrad conveys the strong narrative thrust of the Sunjata epic in his presentation of substantial excerpts from his translation of a performance by Djanka Tassey Conde. Readers approaching the epic for the first time will appreciate the translation's highly readable, poetic English as well as Conrad's informative Introduction and notes. Scholars will find the familiar heroes and heroines taking on new dimensions, secondary characters gaining increased prominence, and previously unknown figures emerging from obscurity.