Rasta Livewire

Metallurgy / Mining

Do you know that metal has been used to build most skyscrapers, appliances and cars around the world ? Yes, metal is everywhere. Industrial Revolution would be dead if it wasn’t for the development of metal. Around 1,500-2,000 years ago, Africans living on the western shores of Lake Victoria, in Tanzania, had produced carbon steel that later gave life to the Industrial Revolution.

The Africans created pre-heated forced-draft furnaces, a method that was more sophisticated than any developed in Europe until the mid-19th century. It has been discovered that near Lake Victoria were 13 Iron Age furnaces that proved a technologically superior culture developed in Africa more than 1, 500 years ago overturns popular and scholarly ideas that technological sophistication developed in Europe but not in Africa.

The temperature achieved in the blast furnace of the African steel-smelting machine was higher than any achieved in a European machine until the Industrial Revolution. It was roughly 1,800 C some 200 to 400C higher that the highest reached in European cold blast bloomeries.

The secret to the African’s success was due to the fact that they preheated the air blast by inserting blowpipes into the base of the furnace. From their efforts, greater fuel economy was achieved and extraordinarily high temperatures.

Besides, Ancient Blacks creating the technology forming metal, Africans in the southern part of the continent had dug the most ancient mines found in the world. One of several discoveries was reported early in 1970, which was of an ancient mine in an iron-ore mountain in Swaziland, in southeast Africa. Stone as mining tools were found, and samples of charcoal remaining from old fires were tested by the radio-carbon dating technique. The mine turned out to be 43,000 years old!
http://www.takingitglobal.org/express/panorama/article.html?ContentID=68&start=2975&startpos=2500

Astronomy - Kenya

Complexity of astronomy was mastered by the people in West Africa known as the Dogon before Jesus Christ. Well known scientists from Michigan State had discovered African Stonehenge on the edge of Lake Turkana that was dated 300 years before Christ.

In their observations, they noticed that each huge pillar was accurately aligned with a star as it rose in 300 B.C. The evidence around the historical site proved that was a definite relationship existed between the pillars at Namoratunga and the stars. The scientists were able to conclude that an accurate and complex calendar system based on astronomical calculations was developed by the first millennium B.C. in eastern Africa.

The American scientists also discovered modern Cushites in Eastern Africa had a calendar based on the rising of certain stars and constellations. This being true, the modern Cushites had given life to one of the most accurate pre-Christian calendars of the prehistoric beginnings!

Another group of people in West Africa, known as the Dogon, had a very modern view of our solar system and of the universe. They lived in a mountainous area of the Republic of Mali, about 200 miles from where the legendary university of Timbuctoo once lay. They had justifiable interpretations of Saturn, the moons of Jupiter, the spiral structure of the Milky Way Galaxy, in which our planet lies. They knew a billion worlds spiraled in space like the circulation of blood within the body of God. They knew that the moon was a unfruitful world. They said it was “dry and dead, like dried blood.” Basically, they knew of complex details about a star which no one can see except with the most powerful of telescopes. They saw it, observed it and estimated its mass and its nature. They plotted is orbit almost up until the year 2,000. Undoubtly, the Dogons did all of this between five and seven hundred years ago.

Despite how remarkable the Dogons had complex knowledge of astronomy, Eurocentric scientists would not accept that any African astronomer-priest could have developed a science of the heavens so advances that it could yield knowledge which, until the 20th century, escaped European observation.

MATHEMATICS

The earliest evidence of the use of numbers is a find in Africa in the Congo (Zaire). On a 8,000 year old bone, markings of a notation count was found. It is known as the Ishango bone since it was found near an ancient fishing site of that name. The engraved marks on the Ishango bone had “close tally between the groups of marks and the astronomical lunar periods. A number of extensive tests gave even closer lunar approximations.” It was concluded that the notches on the bone, was used as a lunar calendar, comprising a period of almost six months. Definitely, the evidence was of one of man’s earliest intellectual activities.

Depending on the need for mathematics, systems of numerations may range in Africa from a few number words to the extensive numerical vocabulary of African nations having a history of centuries of commerce.

In Yoruba and the related people of the city of Benin in Nigeria, who have urbanized farmers and traders for centuries, is one nation where they developed and used a complex number system. Yoruba numerals demonstrated how the people in Western Africa had the capacity for abstract reasoning to develop and learn such a system.

Scientific discoveries had been also made in Eastern Africa. Evidence of of the “protomathematics” in southeast Africa has been traced back to 25,000 years ago. The existence of mathematical papyri from 1800 B.C.E. that are believed to be the first mathematical textbooks, containing formulas that allow for study in number theory, geometry, trigonometry and algebra.

Although Greek mathematicians and philosophers gave recognition to African science’s contributions, many of today historians still refuse to give such recognition to Africa.
Medicine

The African multi-genius Imphotep is considered as the first physician in history who’s his remedies which saved many human lives. As a member of the pharaoh’s court Imphotep was the first universal architect, philosopher, scribe, priest, chief lector, astronomer, magician, and administrator in the history of civilization. Besides there is clear evidence of his title as the “Father of Medicine”, for 3000 years he was worshipped as a god in Greece and Rome. Early Christians worshipped him as the “Prince of Peace.”

Unfortunately, the medical history books never give credit to the contributions of black people. Discussions on the race of the ancient Egyptians are carefully avoided. Most sources rely heavily on quotations and citation from Herodotus to get information on ancient medicine.
Herodotus, who was considered by western society as the father of history, had made comments on many occasions about the appearance of the ancient Egyptians. Though, in the writings of medical history that fails to include his comments about the ancient society especially his knowledge of the practice of circumcision in ancient Egypt, a fact of medical importance noted by Herodotus.

Of course, it’s a fact that Imhotep diagnosed and treated over 200 diseases, 15 diseases of the abdomen, 11 of the bladder, 10 of the rectum, 29 of the eyes, and 18 of the skin, hair, nails and tongue. Imhotep treated tuberculosis, gallstones, appendicitis, gout and arthritis. He also performed surgery and practiced some dentistry. Imhotep extracted medicine from plants. He also knew the position and function of the vital organs and circulation of the blood system.

This legendary “Type of Christ” was worshipped as a god and healer from approximately 2850 B.C. to 525 B.C., and as a full deity from 525 B.C. to 550 A.D. Imhotep lived during the Third Dynasty at the court of King Zoser. His medical and anatomical knowledge still amazes medicinal professions and historians today. The Great Master of Knowledge in Egypt, who was of African origin, will never be forgotten!
Architect

Great engineering projects were assisted in mathematics that was founded in the homeland, Africa. It’s been believed for too long that enormous places or churches or ceremonial centers can only be found in the north of Africa and that mud and straw and vines is the limit of materials used by the traditional African. Obviously, people use what materials are available to them and where stone was available to Africans they built in stone. Even with less sturdy materials lay at hand, the African was still able to place the stamp of technological inventiveness upon those materials. I noticed in my research that a British engineer has mentioned “suspension bridges built with vines by the Kikuyu which equaled in engineering skill and potential durability any comparable bridges of wood he had seen in his own country.

It’s a sure guess that unaware folks could not imagine that south of the Sahara lie several architectural wonders. One of these is Great Zimbabwe which has the most immense construction site found in Africa outside of the pyramids of Egypt. The great stone city, as they would call it, is more than 800 years old but until recently, African scholars had studied the site closely. They noticed that the ancient plan of this stone city is in two parts. The king’s part, the Royal Enclosure, is on the top of a hill. The other buildings in the valley are the IMBA HURU, the Great Enclosure. The African team, the Asantes, calculated that within a single section was one meter long, from top to bottom, two meters thick, there were approximately 4,500 stone blocks. It is estimated that 10,000 people lived in that city, making it one of the largest cities of its day.
Writing

One of the big myths besides that blacks were “uncivilized”, “illerate” and “barbaric” that Africans did not many develop writing systems. There is evidence of half a dozen scripts that obviously goes back before the Holocaust that illustrates Africans developed a complex and unique writing system which were used from ancient times, all the way up to the present. But of course, it has reported that many manuscripts have been destroyed such as in the sack of Alexandria, the destroying of Timbuctoo, and the burning of the Moorish documents in the squares of Granada on the order of Cardinal Ximenez.

It’s horrifying to know that past invaders to the motherland had purposely demolished and stolen a lot of evidence that proved that ancient blacks were brilliant inventors and as intelligent as any other race. Just as the Pope in the 15th century had ordered the Michael D’Angelo to paint all the gods white including Jesus, many non-Africans had hidden our technological and scientific advances in Africa.

The variety of writing material used in some parts of the continent, historically, reflects the complex history of Africa’s writing systems which in the past were in scribed on materials such as parchment, papyrus, leather, skin, fabric, sand, clay, and metal more extensively in some parts of the continent than others.

Throughout the continent of Africa that has been discoveries and reports of evidence of the earliest writing systems. For example, it was recently announced on March 1, 1979, in the New York Times, that the origin of the Egyptian hieroglyphic system itself lies among the black people in Sudan. Dr. Bruce Williams, a research associate of the Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, announced the discovery of a black kingdom, known as Ta-Seti, at a place called Qustul, which preceded the first Dynasty in Egypt by twelve generations. A dozen black kings reigned at Ta-Seti and all the major religious and political symbols of a later Egypt were found in this Kingdom. Besides that these royal blacks had carvings and valuable possessions that dated back to 3,300 B.C, it was also discovered there was inscriptions in the tombs of Qustul. The writings were the earliest in the hieroglyphic system that had a influential effect upon some European writing systems.

Since the rise of worldwide Western European supremacy, it has been argued that Africans, due to a strong oral tradition, failed to invent writing. As a result, opposition to Afrocentrism has been the unfounded belief that only Egypt had writing in Africa. For example, archaeological evidence further indicates that African literacy began in the Sahara over 5000 years ago. This earliest form of writing was a syllabic system that included hundreds of phonetic signs, which over time was shorten to between 22 and 30 key signs, and used as an alphabet by the Egyptians, Meroites, Phonesians and Ethiopians. As discussed, there is tons of evidence that the earliest signs of writing systems definitely originated in Africa, but this article will not discuss all the different writing systems that were created in the many regions of Africa. - there’s not enough time

Let’s wrap it up!!

I hope after sharing my beautiful knowledge with the masses that no one will no longer look at Africa as the “Dark Continent.” As a young, black woman, I am very proud of my ancestors’s accomplishments and hope that readers have embraced my written words. Yet, it’s unfortunate that the numerous African treasures have been stolen over the centuries. But the facts remain that West Africa and other parts of the continent provided artifacts not only of iron, tin, gold and bronze metallurgy but also evidence of building technology, ceramics, writings, mining, engineering, physics, maths and medicine.

Scholars, archeologists and scientists had furhter confirmed my beliefs that Africa is the birthplace to humanity and civilization; yet common sense will tell you that if there was an Adam and Eve, they had to have been born in Africa where life of the first human being began. Without the earlier technological accomplishments of ancient Africans who were black, our civilization would be inexistent. Let us not violate the historical truths because the race of the ancient Africans is important to know. As Ancient Africa stands strongly besides Asian and European societies, embrace it and accept it! Life is too short to live on lies. One luv, one blood!

Written by: Nordine .a.k.a STORM!! Yeah, Yeah, Yeah!

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