African Civilizations

Benin Empire illustration of angus mcbride showing the oba (king) of the benin empire receiving a group of portuguese ambassadors in the 16th century AD

"Bust of Queen Mother, Benin." (600-400 B.P (1400-1600 A.D) (arthistoryresources.com)

Forbidden to wed, the Amazon warriors of Dahomey were fanatically loyal to the king, to whom they were officially married. Making up about a third of his army they held sway over the region for 250 years. They fearlessly battled the French Foreign Legion who were armed with machine guns.

Also known as the Mino, the Amazon warriors of Dahomey underwent intense training. Taking a vow never to retreat, their motto was "Conquer or die." The Amazons took enemy soldiers' heads and penises as trophies.

The Amazons of Dahomey were a regiment of fierce female warriors that numbered at least 6,000, in what is present-day Republic of Benin. Said to be superior to male soldiers, they wielded muskets, machetes and spears. The lethal fighting force helped the king dominate the region from the mid-1600s through the 1890s.

Egyptian Pharoah Khafra (sometimes spelled Khafre) a 4th Dynasty ruler during the Old Kingdom, built the second largest pyramid at Giza, and some Egyptologists also credit him with the building of the Sphinx (although that remains a subject of debate).

Nefertiti, whose name means "the beautiful one has come," was the queen of Egypt during the 14th century B.C. She and her husband established the cult of Aten, the sun god.

The Ezana Stone, a huge monolith, was erected to enshrine King Ezana's conversion of Ethiopia to Christianity in the 4th century A.D. The events are inscribed in 3 languages: Greek, Sabaen, and Ge'ez, the written language of Ethiopia. At the site of the King's death on the battlefield, a church was hewn from stone and still stands today.

Ancient statuette depicting King Ezana, the 4th century A.D. who converted Ethiopia to Christianity, the first African nation to do so -- long before much of Europe.

King Ezana of Axum, who came to power in 320 AD, introduced Christianity to Ethiopia about the same time the Emperor Constantine introduced it to Rome. He conquered Kush (Meroe), and parts of the Sudan and Somalia. Under his reign commerce flourished

Ruins of the Kilwa Kingdom, located along the Swahili Coast in what is now Tanzania. Impressive fortifications were built to protect the city state in the 13th century.