1. West African
Medieval
7
Culture
Do Now:
Compare your culture to the cultural characteristics of
African clans.

2. How is Culture
Like an Iceberg?

3. Cultural Ice Berg

4. Essential Question

5. Common Characteristics
of clan Life
 The good of the group comes before the
individual
 All land is owned by the group
 Strong feeling of loyalty to the group
 Important ceremonies as certain ages
 Deep respect for ancestors
 Religion is an important part of daily
life
 Government is in the hands of the
king

6. Family Life
 Kinship is a connection among
people by blood, marriage, or
adoption
 Kinship groups formed the
government of many African
societies
 Council of elders often made
decisions
 Families had a strong loyalty to
their kinship group

8. What are clans?

9. Labor Specialization
 In West African villages the way of life for most people
centered on farming.
Women Men Children
•Prepared food •Looked after large •Looked after flocks
•Cared for children animals •Assisted women
•Made pottery •Cleared land for
•Worked in fields farming
•Collected water •Built houses and
fences
 Over time people began to focus on specific types of labor
 Led to a more diverse economy
 Some people focused on metalworking, herding, iron
technology, and trade
 As a result of labor specialization the African population
grew and became wealthier

10. West African Religion
 Before the
introduction of Islam
many Africans
practiced a form of
religion called
“animism”
 Based on the
belief in one
supreme being,
world of spirits in
all things, belief
in magic, and
charms, and a
diviner
(moderator
between earth and
the divine)
 Islam and
Christianity were
introduced in the
middle ages through
trade and conquest

11. Trade in West Africa
 Trade helped West
African villages
grow into cities
 Gold mining and
slaves led to more
contact with North
Africa
 As trade grew so did
the importance of
Cities as centers of
politics, religion and
education
 West Africa received
silk, salt, cloth and
metal wares while
North Africans
received gold,
slaves, ivory, and
cattle hides

12. Kings
 As West African
societies developed
complex trade
systems, some
powerful individuals
called kings gained
control of the system
 Many people were
loyal to the king
because he kept trade
running smoothly
 Kings also played an
important role in
religious life:
performed rituals,
prayers
 Kings were
accountable for
bringing rain, and
prosperity to their
people