African wisdom profoundly revolves around deep soul searching discourses among the sages in a society in search of truth and the meaning of reality.
Among the DOGON people of Mali, discourse of phenomena and events in the society is so important, that in every village a 'Togu Na' - 'House of Words' is built. The Togu Na is the center for intellectual discourse and social meeting point for the men of each village. The house is built with a low ceiling, supported by carved or sculptured posts, to prevent heated arguments from turning into physical confrontations. So, while inside--you can only remain seated, listen and participate in the discussion.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Saturday, March 27, 2010
How Nubia (Africa) civilised the world.
Modern Law is often referred to as Judeo-Christian--based on its Judaic origins. But what is forgotten or never mentioned is that when (according to Bibilical accounts), Moses laid down the 10 commandments upon which this law is derived, the Jews or followers of Judaism--had come out 400 years of exile in Nubia.
During that time the successive generations of the Hebrew speaking peoples, acquired and were tutored in traditions, laws, philosophies and religious beliefs, of the Afro-Nubian civilizations.These traditions and philosophies formed the basis of what later came to be known as Judaism. In a nutshell Africa, gave the world its leading religious philosophies.
But just in case you still doubt the role Africa has contributed to world religion, what is considered to be the world's oldest religious site was recently discovered by archeologists in the Kalahari. The site is estimated to be 70,000 years old.
Just to demonstrate the depth and scale of how Africa has shaped world history and civilisation, here is a sample of modern technologies and practices that owe their origin to ancient Nubia:
1.Wine and wine making
2. Brewing technology
3. Coffee brewing
4. Mathematics
5. Astronomy--the astronomical knowledge of the DOGON people of Mali, is one of the most advanced ever among modern humans.
6. The modern 365 day calendar.
7. Day, hour measurements using a water clock
8. Hieroglyphics - the earliest known writing.
9. Black Ink
10. Paper manufactured from the fibers of the papyrus plant.
11. Population census
11. A Postal system and the use of Carrier pigeons
12. Cartography
13. Architecture and building technnology
14. The Pyramids
15. Rowed Ships
Dhows/ Sail boats and ships
The Navy
Mortar and cement
brick making
Construction of Arched ceilings
Irrigation systems
Obelisks
Man-made canals
Rope from hemp
Surveying techniques
Tunnelling techniques
Metalurgy--iron works, copper and tin mines
Development of Bronze by mixing tin and copper
Construction and use of copper piping
Metal tools for farming, hunting and weaponry
Jewelry
The flute
The Lyre -
The Clarinet
Trumpet
Ox-Drawn Ploughs
Sickle blades
Domestication of Cattle and the Donkey
Beekeeping
Knowledge of human anatomy
Surgical instruments
Surgical techniques
Medical specialisation
Medicines for various ailments
The Comb
Use of a hot hair straightening comb
Henna for nail paint and hair coloring
Scissors
Wigs
Cosmetics including eye makeup
Perfumery
Dental health tools--Toothbrush and toothpaste
Linen produced from flax
Textile looms
Dye making
Sandals
This list is only a synopsis the breath and scale endogenous Nubian innovations can not be exhausted here, but it gives one the depth and value of the heritage.
awori.achoka@gmail.com
During that time the successive generations of the Hebrew speaking peoples, acquired and were tutored in traditions, laws, philosophies and religious beliefs, of the Afro-Nubian civilizations.These traditions and philosophies formed the basis of what later came to be known as Judaism. In a nutshell Africa, gave the world its leading religious philosophies.
But just in case you still doubt the role Africa has contributed to world religion, what is considered to be the world's oldest religious site was recently discovered by archeologists in the Kalahari. The site is estimated to be 70,000 years old.
Just to demonstrate the depth and scale of how Africa has shaped world history and civilisation, here is a sample of modern technologies and practices that owe their origin to ancient Nubia:
1.Wine and wine making
2. Brewing technology
3. Coffee brewing
4. Mathematics
5. Astronomy--the astronomical knowledge of the DOGON people of Mali, is one of the most advanced ever among modern humans.
6. The modern 365 day calendar.
7. Day, hour measurements using a water clock
8. Hieroglyphics - the earliest known writing.
9. Black Ink
10. Paper manufactured from the fibers of the papyrus plant.
11. Population census
11. A Postal system and the use of Carrier pigeons
12. Cartography
13. Architecture and building technnology
14. The Pyramids
15. Rowed Ships
Dhows/ Sail boats and ships
The Navy
Mortar and cement
brick making
Construction of Arched ceilings
Irrigation systems
Obelisks
Man-made canals
Rope from hemp
Surveying techniques
Tunnelling techniques
Metalurgy--iron works, copper and tin mines
Development of Bronze by mixing tin and copper
Construction and use of copper piping
Metal tools for farming, hunting and weaponry
Jewelry
The flute
The Lyre -
The Clarinet
Trumpet
Ox-Drawn Ploughs
Sickle blades
Domestication of Cattle and the Donkey
Beekeeping
Knowledge of human anatomy
Surgical instruments
Surgical techniques
Medical specialisation
Medicines for various ailments
The Comb
Use of a hot hair straightening comb
Henna for nail paint and hair coloring
Scissors
Wigs
Cosmetics including eye makeup
Perfumery
Dental health tools--Toothbrush and toothpaste
Linen produced from flax
Textile looms
Dye making
Sandals
This list is only a synopsis the breath and scale endogenous Nubian innovations can not be exhausted here, but it gives one the depth and value of the heritage.
awori.achoka@gmail.com
Sunday, March 21, 2010
The Emergent afrika
The new Afrika--Nubia, has no borders. It is linked by peoples, languages, cultures and visions of the young and future generations--and wisdom of the ancient sages.
In Nubia men respect women, women respect men, the youth respect the aged, the elders respect the intellect of the young.
Nubia is proactive, not reactive, it sets the agenda and dictates global events, it does not wallow in the misery brought on it by exploiters, looters and human traffickers--it is emboldened by the vision of its future and the heritage of its past.
Nubia will be shaped and molded in cyberspace--but lived in communities, villages, cities and homes of generation Nubia. Among generation Nubia, nothing shocks us--we create and live through our own challenges. We innovate to surmount challenges create new realities.
Through our innovations we shall be linked. Through our ingenuity we shall once again rule the world. Be part of the making of a new Afrika, be part of generation Nubia. Do you have an idea? Share it!
In Nubia men respect women, women respect men, the youth respect the aged, the elders respect the intellect of the young.
Nubia is proactive, not reactive, it sets the agenda and dictates global events, it does not wallow in the misery brought on it by exploiters, looters and human traffickers--it is emboldened by the vision of its future and the heritage of its past.
Nubia will be shaped and molded in cyberspace--but lived in communities, villages, cities and homes of generation Nubia. Among generation Nubia, nothing shocks us--we create and live through our own challenges. We innovate to surmount challenges create new realities.
Through our innovations we shall be linked. Through our ingenuity we shall once again rule the world. Be part of the making of a new Afrika, be part of generation Nubia. Do you have an idea? Share it!
Saturday, March 20, 2010
African philosophy of utu
The Dogon people of Mali in West Africa practice one of the most complex and complete forms of human co-existential philosophies.
A peace loving people--believe, the DOGON believe in the famed African co-ex9stential philosophy of Utu (Kiswahili term for, love and respect for fellow humans) An excerpt of their culture in the online encyclopedia, Wikipedia, states as follows:
The Dogon are strongly oriented toward harmony, which is reflected in many of their rituals. For instance, in one of their most important rituals, the women praise the men, the men thank the women, the young express appreciation for the old, and the old recognize the contributions of the young. Another example is the custom of elaborate greetings whenever one Dogon meets another. This custom is repeated over and over, throughout a Dogon village, all day. During a greeting ritual, the person who has entered the contact answers a series of questions about his or her whole family, from the person who was already there. Invariably, the answer is sewa, which means that everything is fine. Then the Dogon who has entered the contact repeats the ritual, asking the resident how his or her whole family is. Because of the word sewa is so commonly repeated throughout a Dogon village, neighboring peoples have dubbed the Dogon the sewa people.
A peace loving people--believe, the DOGON believe in the famed African co-ex9stential philosophy of Utu (Kiswahili term for, love and respect for fellow humans) An excerpt of their culture in the online encyclopedia, Wikipedia, states as follows:
The Dogon are strongly oriented toward harmony, which is reflected in many of their rituals. For instance, in one of their most important rituals, the women praise the men, the men thank the women, the young express appreciation for the old, and the old recognize the contributions of the young. Another example is the custom of elaborate greetings whenever one Dogon meets another. This custom is repeated over and over, throughout a Dogon village, all day. During a greeting ritual, the person who has entered the contact answers a series of questions about his or her whole family, from the person who was already there. Invariably, the answer is sewa, which means that everything is fine. Then the Dogon who has entered the contact repeats the ritual, asking the resident how his or her whole family is. Because of the word sewa is so commonly repeated throughout a Dogon village, neighboring peoples have dubbed the Dogon the sewa people.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Pax Africana
Archaeologists have discovered that wealthy black Africans lived in Roman Britain in one of the country’s earliest examples of multiculturalism.
Scientific research techniques have established that a lavish grave containing a woman’s skeleton, an ivory bangle, perfume bottle, mirror and jewellery, belonged to a North African member of York’s high society in the 4th century.
Scientific analysis of isotopes from the teeth revealed that water she drank during her childhood had contained minerals likely to have been found in North Africa. Skull measurements have also established that the “Ivory Bangle Lady” was black or of mixed race.
Her sarcophagus, which was made of stone, a sign of immense wealth in Roman Britain, was discovered in 1901 in Bootham, York. The city was then a legionary fortress and civilian settlement called Eboracum, founded by the Romans in AD71.
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Her well-preserved remains showed that she was 1.5m (5ft 1in) and aged between 18 and 23. There were no signs of a violent death, and muscle markings showed that she had not lived a strenuous life, suggesting that she was affluent. Among the goods found in her grave was a bone with the inscription “Sor ave vivas in Deo” (Hail, sister, may you live in God), suggesting that she may also have been a Christian.
A bracelet of jet, probably from Whitby, North Yorkshire, showed that she had access to local trade networks. Researchers from the University of Reading’s department of archaeology believe that the ivory bangle, an artefact rarely found in Roman Britain, may have been kept by the woman as a memento of home.
Hella Eckardt, who carried out the study, said: “Multicultural Britain is not just a phenomenon of more modern times. Analysis of the ‘Ivory Bangle Lady’ and others like her, contradicts assumptions about the make-up of Roman-British populations as well as the view that African immigrants were of low status, male and likely to have been slaves.”
She said that “Ivory Bangle Lady” was very wealthy — “absolutely from the top end of York society”.
“The link between slavery and Africans is an early modern one. In the Roman world this simply was not the case. Slaves in Roman times could come from any area.”
She added that inscriptions from that period showed that African people were most often members of the imperialist power’s army. But the latest research on a series of skeletons showed that African men had immigrated to Britain, invariably with the Roman Army, and had brought their wives and children.
Dr Eckardt continued: “We’re looking at a population mix which is much closer to contemporary Britain than previous historians had suspected. In the case of York, the Roman population may have had more diverse origins than the city has now.
“This skull is particularly interesting, because the stone sarcophagus she was buried in, and the richness of the grave goods, means she was a very wealthy woman.”
The research, A Lady of York; migration, ethnicity and identity in Roman Britain, is published in the March edition of the journal Antiquity. The “Ivory Bangle Lady” will be the centrepiece of an exhibition at the Yorkshire Museum in August entitled Roman York: Meet the People
Scientific research techniques have established that a lavish grave containing a woman’s skeleton, an ivory bangle, perfume bottle, mirror and jewellery, belonged to a North African member of York’s high society in the 4th century.
Scientific analysis of isotopes from the teeth revealed that water she drank during her childhood had contained minerals likely to have been found in North Africa. Skull measurements have also established that the “Ivory Bangle Lady” was black or of mixed race.
Her sarcophagus, which was made of stone, a sign of immense wealth in Roman Britain, was discovered in 1901 in Bootham, York. The city was then a legionary fortress and civilian settlement called Eboracum, founded by the Romans in AD71.
Related Links
Former Royal secretary goes back to school
What did the Romans drop down the drain?
Her well-preserved remains showed that she was 1.5m (5ft 1in) and aged between 18 and 23. There were no signs of a violent death, and muscle markings showed that she had not lived a strenuous life, suggesting that she was affluent. Among the goods found in her grave was a bone with the inscription “Sor ave vivas in Deo” (Hail, sister, may you live in God), suggesting that she may also have been a Christian.
A bracelet of jet, probably from Whitby, North Yorkshire, showed that she had access to local trade networks. Researchers from the University of Reading’s department of archaeology believe that the ivory bangle, an artefact rarely found in Roman Britain, may have been kept by the woman as a memento of home.
Hella Eckardt, who carried out the study, said: “Multicultural Britain is not just a phenomenon of more modern times. Analysis of the ‘Ivory Bangle Lady’ and others like her, contradicts assumptions about the make-up of Roman-British populations as well as the view that African immigrants were of low status, male and likely to have been slaves.”
She said that “Ivory Bangle Lady” was very wealthy — “absolutely from the top end of York society”.
“The link between slavery and Africans is an early modern one. In the Roman world this simply was not the case. Slaves in Roman times could come from any area.”
She added that inscriptions from that period showed that African people were most often members of the imperialist power’s army. But the latest research on a series of skeletons showed that African men had immigrated to Britain, invariably with the Roman Army, and had brought their wives and children.
Dr Eckardt continued: “We’re looking at a population mix which is much closer to contemporary Britain than previous historians had suspected. In the case of York, the Roman population may have had more diverse origins than the city has now.
“This skull is particularly interesting, because the stone sarcophagus she was buried in, and the richness of the grave goods, means she was a very wealthy woman.”
The research, A Lady of York; migration, ethnicity and identity in Roman Britain, is published in the March edition of the journal Antiquity. The “Ivory Bangle Lady” will be the centrepiece of an exhibition at the Yorkshire Museum in August entitled Roman York: Meet the People
A new Africa is born
A new Africa is born---named Nubia. Nubia was the name given to the ancient African civilizations along the banks of the Nile Valley from its source on the shores of Lake Victoria (Azania) in present day Uganda, through most of Sudan, Chad, Ethiopia into present day Egypt.
In the reconstruction of the new Africa we have chosen to name the continent NUBIA. In the same vain we have chosen to name the Nile River, the Great Nubia. Lake Victoria, is Lake Azania.
Africa is the origin of world history---having given birth to the first humans. It is the mother continent--whose history, heritage has been deliberately disfigured, and misrepresented in history books. Until the advent of modern day European racism--Nubia influenced and civilized most of the world. Nubia gave the world, coffee, wine, medical science, mathematics, architecture, iron smelting and the written form of communication.
It must be understood that the (colonial) Egypt of today has very little to do with the ancient Egypt or Kemet which was under ancient Nubian Kingdoms and Pharaohs--referred to in the Bible.
After Alexander the Great conquered Egypt, the Hellenistic Greeks settled and ruled Egypt, followed by the Romans the Ottoman Turks and until around the 8th century Arabs took over the country. The Egyptian Arabs of today lay claim to the region's history only recent conquest, not by heritage. This region is patently Nubian.
In the reconstruction of the new Africa we have chosen to name the continent NUBIA. In the same vain we have chosen to name the Nile River, the Great Nubia. Lake Victoria, is Lake Azania.
Africa is the origin of world history---having given birth to the first humans. It is the mother continent--whose history, heritage has been deliberately disfigured, and misrepresented in history books. Until the advent of modern day European racism--Nubia influenced and civilized most of the world. Nubia gave the world, coffee, wine, medical science, mathematics, architecture, iron smelting and the written form of communication.
It must be understood that the (colonial) Egypt of today has very little to do with the ancient Egypt or Kemet which was under ancient Nubian Kingdoms and Pharaohs--referred to in the Bible.
After Alexander the Great conquered Egypt, the Hellenistic Greeks settled and ruled Egypt, followed by the Romans the Ottoman Turks and until around the 8th century Arabs took over the country. The Egyptian Arabs of today lay claim to the region's history only recent conquest, not by heritage. This region is patently Nubian.
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