Correcting some trivial misconceptions about ancient Africa

[Skooby]

Great thread:

 

[MischievousMonkey]

I didn't find anything to critique between what I already knew, statements I didn't even know were misconceptions and stuff I'm not knowledgeable about enough to even have an opinion (for example, "Copper and its alloys had more value than Gold for most African societies").

I'd ask what he means by "there's little evidence for the diffusion of metallurgical technology" though.

What's his academical background?

 

[Skooby]

What's his academical background?

That I'm not sure of. He's been writing about African history for years though.

 

[GrindtooFilthy]

I didn't find anything to critique between what I already knew, statements I didn't even know were misconceptions and stuff I'm not knowledgeable about enough to even have an opinion (for example, "Copper and its alloys had more value than Gold for most African societies").

I'd ask what he means by "there's little evidence for the diffusion of metallurgical technology" though.

What's his academical background?

That diffusion is the only that threw me off too, everything else seems kinda align with what we already knew

Is he talking about smithing multiple or different types of metal ore together?

 

[FrontoBama]

He alone would know what he means but I’ve heard many Whites disparage the Benin Bronzes, calling them fake bronzes because many of them actually made of copper. (Important to note they were crafted separately over like 700 years)

The second part is just saying multiple African societies discovered iron working SEPERATELY rather than whats called a “heroic invention” where one sole person creates something and it spreads.

Very often if you leave the door open the White man will use it to say “oh it must have been [non blk] trade networks that brought this.“ They do that ALOT with Kush so I see why he did that.

 

[Ake1725]

I didn't find anything to critique between what I already knew, statements I didn't even know were misconceptions and stuff I'm not knowledgeable about enough to even have an opinion (for example, "Copper and its alloys had more value than Gold for most African societies").

I'd ask what he means by "there's little evidence for the diffusion of metallurgical technology" though.

What's his academical background?

Probably referring to africans developing metallurgy independently vs it be brought to africans by outsiders would be my guess

 

[Gritsngravy]

Interesting information, got to gon head and put the 15 up for the Patreon library

 

[MischievousMonkey]

He alone would know what he means but I’ve heard many Whites disparage the Benin Bronzes, calling them fake bronzes because many of them actually made of copper. (Important to note they were crafted separately over like 700 years)

The second part is just saying multiple African societies discovered iron working SEPERATELY rather than whats called a “heroic invention” where one sole person creates something and it spreads.

Very often if you leave the door open the White man will use it to say “oh it must have been [non blk] trade networks that brought this.“ They do that ALOT with Kush so I see why he did that.

For sure, that's a constant in African historiography, from mining techniques in Southern Africa to the centralization of the State on the continent. Always gotta disprove narratives that African "achievements" can't be indigenous.