This is an alphabetic list of pre-colonial achievements in science and technology made by the peoples of Africa during the thousands of years of human habitation of the continent. Africa is the birthplace of anatomically modern humans and contains some of the oldest evidence of human technological achievement.
A
African rice – Oryza glaberrima was independently domesticated in the Niger River delta region of West Africa around 3000 years ago, making Africa one of the world's independent centers of rice cultivation. Architecture – Africa developed diverse architectural traditions including the stone structures of Great Zimbabwe built without mortar, the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela, the coral stone buildings of the Swahili coast, and the monumental architecture of ancient Egypt and Nubia. Arithmetic – The Lebombo bone (c. 42,000 years ago) and Ishango bone (c. 20,000 years ago) are among the oldest known mathematical artifacts in the world, featuring tally marks that suggest early counting and possibly lunar calendar tracking. Astronomy – The Nabta Playa stone circle (c. 4800 BCE) in the Nubian Desert is among the world's oldest known archeoastronomical devices. Ancient Egyptians developed a 365-day civil calendar based on the heliacal rising of Sirius, which signaled the Nile's annual flood. The Borana calendar of Ethiopia and Kenya represents a rare luni-stellar system tracking the moon's conjunction with seven star systems, maintained by astronomical specialists called ayantu. Among southern African Nguni peoples, the Pleiades (IsiLimela, "the digging stars") signaled planting season, while the Southern Cross served for navigation.
B
Barkcloth – The Baganda people of Uganda developed sophisticated barkcloth-making techniques from the Ficus natalensis tree. This ancient textile art was recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008. Bellows – African ironworkers developed sophisticated bellows systems for smelting iron. The Haya people of Tanzania developed preheating bellows systems that allowed furnaces to reach high temperatures, enabling the production of carbon steel. Board games – Several board games originated in Africa, including Mancala (also known as oware, bao, and other names), one of the world's oldest known games. Senet, played in Egypt from around 3100 BCE, was one of the earliest known board games. Bow and arrow – Archaeological evidence from Sibudu Cave in South Africa indicates that bow and arrow technology was developed in Africa around 64,000 years ago, representing the oldest known evidence of this technology worldwide. Bronze – Benin Bronzes from the Kingdom of Benin (from the 13th century onwards) represent some of the finest bronze castings in world art history, created using the lost-wax casting technique.
C Calendar – The ancient Egyptians developed one of the world's first solar calendars around 2400 BCE, consisting of 365 days divided into 12 months of 30 days each, plus 5 additional days. This calendar influenced the Julian calendar and ultimately the Gregorian calendar used worldwide today. Canoe – The Dufuna canoe, discovered in Nigeria, dates to approximately 6000 BCE (about 8,000 years old), making it the oldest boat discovered in Africa and the second-oldest known boat in the world after the Pesse canoe. Carbon steel – The Haya people of northwestern Tanzania developed methods to produce medium to high-carbon steel approximately 2000 years ago. Their furnaces, using preheated forced-draft technology, could reach high temperatures suitable for steel production. Cesarean section – Evidence from Ugandan traditional medicine documented by European travelers in the 19th century described indigenous surgical techniques for cesarean sections that were performed successfully. The procedure employed banana wine for anesthesia and antisepsis, cauterization for hemostasis, and wound closure with iron spikes and herbal dressings. Coffee – Coffea arabica originated in Ethiopia. According to tradition, the stimulating properties of coffee were discovered in the Ethiopian highlands, and the beverage spread from there to Yemen and eventually worldwide.
D
Domestication of animals – Africa was the site of several important animal domestications, including the donkey (domesticated from the African wild ass in Nubia around 5000 years ago). Drums – Africa developed a rich tradition of drum making and drumming, including the talking drum of West Africa, which could mimic tonal languages for long-distance communication. Dry stone construction – The builders of Great Zimbabwe (11th-15th centuries) developed sophisticated dry stone construction techniques, creating walls up to 11 meters high without using mortar. Similar techniques were used in over 200 stone enclosures across Zimbabwe and neighboring regions.
E Embalming – Ancient Egyptians developed sophisticated mummification techniques over thousands of years, involving organ removal, desiccation with natron, and wrapping in linen.
F Fermentation – African peoples developed diverse fermented foods and beverages that remain dietary staples across the continent. These include sorghum beer (such as umqombothi and pombe), fermented cereal porridges (such as ogi and togwa), fermented dairy products (such as amasi), tej (honey wine) in Ethiopia, and fermented legume products (such as dawadawa). Traditional fermentation serves purposes of food preservation, improved digestibility, and enhanced nutrition. Fractal geometry – Principles of fractals, specifically self-similarity and scaling, were widely applied in pre-colonial African architecture and urban design. Notable examples include the recursive layout of Logone-Birni in Cameroon and the Ba-ila settlements in Zambia.
G
Ge'ez script – The Ge'ez script (Ethiopic) was developed in the Kingdom of Aksum around the 5th century BCE, making it one of the oldest alphabets still in continuous use today. It is an abugida (syllabic alphabet) used to write Amharic, Tigrinya, and other Ethiopian languages. Gold – African civilizations developed sophisticated gold mining, refining, and metalworking techniques. The gold of Nubia, the Ghana Empire, the Mali Empire, and Great Zimbabwe made Africa a major source of gold for the ancient and medieval world.
I
… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.
