The Reality of Ancient African Societies

Ancient African society played a much larger role in the development of civilization as a whole than is commonly believed. Until recently, it was believed that Asia was the cradle of humankind; now, through the findings of Louis and Mary Leakey, we know that the oldest hominids (to date) were present in East Africa (Jackson, "Origin" 45-47). Before the Leakey's discovery and other studies (most notably Dr. Albert Churchward's The Origin and Evolution of the Human Race, which was the first publication to suggest Africa as the birthplace of civilization), ignorance of the true history of Africa may have been due to the lack of archaeological evidence. Today, however, the majority of those denying the importance of Africa in civilizations creation refuse to accept the fact due to a deep seated prejudice. As Gomez says in Reversing Sail: A History of the African Diaspora, "Africans were not always under the heel but were in fact at the forefront of human civilization" (8).

The earliest civilizations in Africa were matriarchal, mainly due to the fact that the father of offspring was generally not known (Jackson, "Origin" 51). In Ghana, the death of a monarch led to his sister's son replacing his position (Jackson, "Introduction" 201). Intelligently, the early Africans also developed a system of exogamy, which prevented the human race from disintegrating due to inbreeding). The civilization changed to patriarchy with the institution of private land ownership. In this way, one of their most prized possessions (land) could be passed down from father to son (Jackson, "Origin" 52).