There are so many misconceptions about Africa.
These misconceptions include "africa is a state, africa comprises of so many evil occurences amidst which deadly incurable diseases can be contracted via mere physical contact, africa is a place where there are majority of gangsters and criminals...e.t.c"
This post unfortunately won't be a lengthy attempt to wooing you out of your misconceptions of africa but a brief peek into history.
IN THIS POST, i'll be looking into the foremost industries in our modern day world and it's relationship with this large continental mass housing 54 nations and 1.216 billion people.
In this post i'll be talking about TECHNOLOGY
IF YOU'D ASK A RANDOM PERSON TODAY, "who are the top dogs in the technology sector?"
expect answers like U.S.A, CHINA, JAPAN, GERMANY". Statistically and evidently the person is right!
you doubt it? take a look at this...
source
it will be noted that even here, no african country rates top 15. painful isn't it?
so let's look in the ol' glory days.
so i stumbled on a publication on wikipedia
you see, technology in chronological order started from:
the stone age
During the stone age, people made most use of stones fashioning them into amazingly helpful tools for survival.
Lasting roughly 2.5 million years, the Stone Age ended around 5,000 years ago when humans in the Near East began working with metal and making tools and weapons from bronze.
most of our ancestors have been using stones and other tools. methods of stone tool making, known as the Oldowan "industry", date back to millions of years ago according to a wikifact.
the earliest direct evidence of tool usage found in Ethiopia within the Great Rift Valley, dating back to 2.5 million years ago. This era of stone tool use is called the Paleolithic, or "Old stone age", and spans all of human history up to the development of agriculture approximately 12,000 years ago.
sayswikipedia
however this buttressed in this discovery published in this
you see, africans are known as masters of craft, and usually when a prehistoric event is re-enacted or depicted, it unfortunately depicts a set of primitive black black populace in black skin and animal hides doing their dos. However this is still how some africans are believed to be, thanks to the primitive ruling formular of some african leaders.
THE COPPER AND BRONZE AGES
SOURCE LINK
THIS PERIOD WAS DOMINATED BY THE EURASIANS
Bronze Age, third phase in the development of material culture among the ancient peoples of Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, following the Paleolithic and Neolithic periods (Old Stone Age and New Stone Age, respectively). The term also denotes the first period in which metal was used. The date at which the age began varied with regions; in Greece and China, for instance, the Bronze Age began before 3000 BCE, whereas in Britain it did not start until about 1900 BCE.
SOURCE
This I believe was the age where major leap in technology started, with the europeans and asians doing deep thoughts and grinding their asses out to create cutting edge sophisticated weaponry and state of the art cutlery and wares. my question is what were we doing then as africans? the answer isn't far fetched, most were busy forming clan leaders with their micro-population and minute settlements, refusing to accept innovation or possibly terming every anomaly who comes up with such as an outcast or even probably killing them off if it doesn't go in line with the leadership of the clan.
these are just my sentiments tho.
IRON AGE
THIS ONE WAS MAJORLY FOR EUROASIANS STILL you can imagine!
I GUESS THIS WAS THE PERIOD WHERE THEY GOT THE TECH DOMINATION FROM OR WHERE IT BEGAN AGAINST OUR OWN AFRICAN INGENUITY,
that's just my shallow chauvinist idea!
BUT JUST AFTER THIS PERIOD COMES MY FAVORITE PERIOD!
THE ANCIENT PERIOD
It was the growth of the ancient civilizations which produced the greatest advances in technology and engineering, advances which stimulated other societies to adopt new ways of living and how they governed their people
SOURCE
OF THIS PERIOD THERE WERE FIVE NOTABLE REGIONS THAT CONTRIBUTED IMMENSELY TO WHAT EVOLVED INTO MODERN DAY TECHNOLOGY
THE ROMANS
THE MESOPOTAMIANS
THE CHINESE
THE INDUS VALLEY
THE GREEK
THE INCA AND MAYANS
AND THE 7TH, WITHOUT WHICH TECHNOLOGY WOULD BE INCOMPLETE AND THAT WHICH MAKES ME PROUD OF THIS BLACK CONTINENT, THE EGYPTIANS!
The Egyptians invented and used many simple machines, such as the ramp to aid construction processes. Egyptian society made significant advances during dynastic periods in areas such as astronomy, mathematics, and medicine. They also made paper and monuments. The Egyptians made significant advances in shipbuilding. Astronomy was used by Egyptian leaders to govern people.
ok, this is the point where i remember my promise of a not lengthy post
The egyptians had technology that cut across spheres of life
this makes egyptology one of most respected courses in the field of history.
egyptian architechture
Ancient Egyptian architecture is the architecture of Ancient Egypt, one of the most influential civilizations throughout history, which developed a vast array of diverse structures and great architectural monuments along the Nile, including pyramids and temples.
source
egyptian clothing
The clothes were generally made of linen and kept simple: a short loincloth resembling a kilt for men, a dress with straps for women. These basic garments with minor variations accounting for fashion, social status and wealth did not change fundamentally throughout Egypt's history.
Men's clothing
Old Kingdom Middle Kingdom New Kingdom Late Period Very little sewing was done. The cloth was wrapped round the body and held in place by a belt. Its colour was generally whitish, in contrast to the colourful clothes foreigners wore in Egyptian depictions, although dyed cloth was not unknown.
egyptian economy
Egypt operated on a barter system up until the Persian invasion of 525 BCE and the economy was based on agriculture. The monetary unit of ancient Egypt was the deben which, according to historian James C. Thompson, "functioned much as the dollar does in North America today to let customers know the price of things, except that there was no deben coin" (Egyptian Economy, 1). A deben was "approximately 90 grams of copper; very expensive items could also be priced in debens of silver or gold with proportionate changes in value" (ibid). Thompson continues:
Since seventy-five litters of wheat cost one deben and a pair of sandals also cost one deben, it made perfect sense to the Egyptians that a pair of sandals could be purchased with a bag of wheat as easily as with a chunk of copper. Even if the sandal maker had more than enough wheat, she would happily accept it in payment because it could easily be exchanged for something else. The most common items used to make purchases were wheat, barley, and cooking or lamp oil, but in theory almost anything would do.
Laborers were often paid in bread and beer, the staples of the Egyptian diet. If they wanted something else, they needed to be able to offer a skill or some product of value, as Thompson points out. Fortunately for the people, there were many needs which had to be met.
NOW, the question playing on your mind might be, what the heck are you talking about? just go straight to the point and cut the chase!
i'll tell you.
did you know there are notable african technology you've been using without even knowing? i'll let you in on these;
i would mention some notable inventions by some africans here, hopefully that will motivate you and wake you from your slumber
Allan McLeod Cormack he's a south african whose research provided the foundation on which the CT Scanner was built
hence he's credited for the invention
Rachid Yazami a morrocan, he's credited for the invention of Graphite Anode of Lithium ion batteries. Today, his invention is used by top tech and telecom companies like Samsung, Nokia and Apple.
Arthur Zang a cameroonean, known for his cardiopad invention.
Dr. Samuel Achilefu, a nigerian, he invented a cancer google.
Henri Johnson a south african engineer, invented a speed gun, used in golf, cricket and table tennis tournaments to measure accurate speed of the balls used .
Ferdinand Chauvier a south african hydraulics engineer invented a pool cleaner.
Trevor Lloyd Wadley, a South African Electrical Engineer. He invented a device made specifically for measuring the earth’s ionosphere.
Philip Emeagwali, a nigerian. known for the world’s fastest computer
Lewis Latimer a black american who invented the light bulb!
in case you didn't know, Thomas Jennings, was the first African American inventor to receive a patent for an invention. he was granted a patent for a dry-cleaning process.
so what are we waiting for? let's put on the thinking caps again, there's so much sufferings as it were and these need inventions to alleviate or eradicate them.
WAKE UP AFRICA! LET'S CONTINUE INVENTING!"
so next time you think africa, don't let any ugly image get conjured from the abyss of your brain, just remember the amazing egyptians and their technology and remember, africans are kings and pioneers!