Was there a written language in sub-Saharan Africa?

In fact, says Fallou Ngom, who grew up in Senegal, people in sub-Saharan Africa have used a written system derived from Arabic to record the details of their daily lives since at least the 10th century.

What is the oldest language in sub-Saharan Africa?

Africa is known for being home to some of the ancient languages in the world. Although it is hard to be certain that a particular language spoken in Africa was the oldest, many people agree on the name of Ancient Egyptian. The name of the Khoisan languages also shows up often during such discussions.

When did writing begin in Africa?

Communicating through script and symbol ‘2 Yet writing – in the form of Egyptian hieroglyphs – emerged in Africa from the 4th century BCE. In Ethiopia, the Ethiopic script was developed in the 4th century CE, and in Sudan the Meroïtic script was created about 180 BCE.

Did pre colonial Africa have the wheel?

Africans did not have the wheel before colonization Even scholars fell victim to the assumption that the wheel was never invented. The reasons why the wheel was not adopted are staggering in the case of Sub-Saharan Africa. One simple reason was the impracticality of using wheels in many regions.

Did Africa have written history?

The history of Africa has tended to rely on written evidence. But Africans had their own particular system of recording past events, situations and traditions, before Europeans started writing about it. This was based on collecting oral testimonies.

Did Mayans have a wheel?

While it is certainly true that the Maya did not possess the potter’s wheel, they did make use of a device called the k’abal. Still, there was no wheel. Perhaps the closest the Maya came to a utilitarian wheel was the spindle 1 whorl. In ancient times the Maya wove cotton garments in much the same way as they do today.

Is there a writing system in Africa?

In the last two centuries, a large variety of writing systems have been created in Africa (Dalby 1967, 1968, 1969). Some are still in use today, while others have been largely displaced by non-African writing such as the Arabic script and the Latin script.

Which continent has the world’s oldest writing system?

However, Africa has the world’s oldest and largest collection of ancient writing systems. The evidence dates to prehistoric times and can be found in multiple regions of the continent.

What is the oldest written language in Africa?

The first among the scripts used in Africa below the Sahara was the ancient South-Arabian script with the oldest inscriptions dating back to between the 9th and 7th century BC, written in Sabaic that was used indigenously in the pre-Axumite Kingdoms of Ethiopia notably D‘mt.

Is sub-Saharan Africa literate or non-literate?

Sub-saharan Africa has one of the world’s oldest literary cultures, yet despite evidence to the contrary, the myth of non-literate African societies persists. Part of the blame rests on colonial racial anthropologists who created that image.