Africa in Question: Ancient and Pre-colonial Africa - Between Past and Present

What is Africa and what might its ancient and pre-colonial pasts tell us about present African realities? Despite the passage of time, some stubborn Eurocentric myths about Africa as an 'Other', pathological, dominated by unchanging 'tribal' traditions and customs, isolated from world development and without or beyond history persist. In short, a 'dark continent'. How do we challenge these imaginations and representations without merely finding European equivalents and glorious histories of kings and queens, civilisation and states while the meaning of history remains unquestioned? This course explores the emergence of African societies from pre-history to the eve of European colonisation in the late nineteenth century. Using a number of regional histories and relying on primary and secondary sources and documentary films, the course begins with explorations of African historiographies over time, human origins, the interactions of humans and geography, Ancient Egypt and Nubia, state formation and social organisation, the development of long-distance trade networks and cross-cultural contacts, the nature and impact of slavery and the slave trade in Africa. The course aims to equip students with a critical appreciation of Africa?s complex pasts that go well beyond the so-called truths of colonial historiography.

DP requirements: 100% of required coursework and course evaluation.

Assessment: Course work counts for 50% of the final mark and a two hour examination at the end of the semester in which the course is taken counts for the remaining 50%.

The University of Cape Town awards credits based on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) to determine course and contact hour recommendations per course. 1 NQF credit represents roughly 10 notional hours of work which includes study time, assignments and examinations. Notional hours may very per courses depending on the course level and modality therefore, CEA recommends using NQF credits as a basis to determine U.S. equivalencies (1 NQF=.222 semester credits)