AAAD 303: Islamic Cultures of Contemporary Africa: Background resources

Covers the history of the entire African continent, from prehistory to the present day.

This is an extensive guide to reference works on African studies from major libraries, publishers and African studies associations.

Focuses on African history and culture with articles that cover prominent individuals, events, trends, places, political movements, art forms, business and trade, and religions.

The term "African thought" has been interpreted in the broadest sense to embrace all those forms of discourse - philosophy, political thought, religion, literature, important social movements"

The Heart of Darkness, this is the image that most in the West hold of pre-colonial Africa. Joseph Conrad's description of a continent lacking in civilization, commerce, and Christianity is familiar to many readers. Historians have been working to dispel this notion before since the institution of African independence after World War II. Collins seeks to familiarize the reader with pre-colonial Africa, the Africa that began with the migrations of the Bantu from their homeland in 500 B.C. and ended with European control in the 19th century, revealing the culture, events, achievement and rulers of Africa from this time.

Ever since the end of World War II, and even more so since 1960, when seventeen African colonies became independent of colonial rule, the African continent has been ravaged by a series of wars. These wars have ranged from liberation struggles against former colonial powers to power struggles between different factions in the aftermath of independence.

The difficulties of exploring African history, especially for earlier periods, have spurred the development of a wide range of methodologies and approaches, such that Wyatt McGaffey once termed it "the decathlon of the social sciences." Historians have long utilized archaeology, ethnography, historical linguistics, and oral traditions in their study of the continent, but are only beginning to explore the possibilities of genetics or many of the techniques used by modern archaeology and other emerging sciences. And as digital sources-from historical documents and statistics to cartographic, climatic, demographic, and environmental modeling-proliferate, so do the problems in using them. The Oxford Encyclopedia of African Historiography: Methods and Sources examines how these developments have influenced the scholarship that historians produce. Such methods continue to evolve, demanding that historians develop basic understandings of them. Thus, the two-volume Encyclopedia builds a theoretical foundation for the field, expanding the ways that Africa can be studied, and recovering the histories of the continent that often appear outside of the documentary record.

Authoritative and Illuminating; This comprehensive set covers the entire expanse of African history as never before. It treats Africa - its geography, art, cultures, peoples, personalities, and even its wildlife - in three volumes, each devoted to a major period in the continent's development. Each volume's in-depth, heavily cross-referenced, and alphabetical entries draw students, researchers, and general readers into the histories of ancient cities, powerful kingdoms, and charismatic leaders, many of whom are little known. Filled with fascinating sidebars, unusual illustrations, and above all wonderful stories, these accessible, attractive, and very readable encyclopedias are authoriative information sources as well as enteratining and illuminating guides to the world's most diverse continent. Ancient Africa; This volume covers the earliest stages of Africa's history, from civilization's beginnings through the Metallic Age, the kingdoms of Egypt and Nubia, Africa's interaction with ancient Greece and Rome, and the rise of Kush and Aksum. African Kingdoms; The focus of tis volume is on the period from approximately 500 through 1500, encompassing the powerful kingdoms of Ghana, Mal

This reference guide provides a one-stop source for African studies research mainly in the humanities and social sciences. It is intended for students, teachers, librarians, casual inquirers, and serious researchers who are delving into unknown territory.

Written by eminent scholars on Africa and practitioners who have worked in or with the African Union (AU), this report brings together the analysis and research of 17 largely Pan-African scholars, policymakers, practitioners, and civil society representatives.