Key Elements of Ancient Ghana

Ancient Ghana
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In ancient Ghana, people were majorly organized in kingdoms. For instance, the Ghana kingdom was located in Senegal. Furthermore, in old Ghana, people were involved in various economic, political, and social activities. Ghana was in a fantastic position to become a significant commercial hub. The enormous Sahara, to the north, was the source of much of the salt. In addition, Ghana was a gold-rich country. People desired gold because of its beauty, yet they needed salt in their diets to exist. This article discusses the geography of the kingdom of Ghana. Furthermore, the paper discusses ancient people’s religious, intellect/artistic, economic, social, technological, and political activities in Ghana.
Geography
Ghana was a kingdom that existed in modern-day Senegal. The region is primarily savanna grasslands and is located just south of the Sahara Desert. The Gambia River, the Senegal River, and the Niger River functioned as main transit and commerce routes. Around 300 C.E., the Soninke people built the kingdom. The Soninke were thought to be the first West Africans to produce iron tools and weapons, giving them a significant edge over other ethnic groups in the region. Gold and salt, in addition to iron goods, were important in the expansion of the Ghana Empire. The climate and the landscape of Ghana were favorable to the kingdom. The region is filled with hills, lakes, marshes, and woods. The artificial lake Volta has had a significant influence on Ghana. Ghana is 499 feet above sea level in 50 percent of its territory. This is significant since the lake provides various services, including transportation, because it is artificial. Because of trade routes and survival, this is critical. On the African continent, there is the Sahara desert. It is the world’s biggest hot desert and the third largest desert overall, covering 9,200,000 square kilometers. The kingdom of Ghana developed when several tribes of Soninke were brought together under their first king, Dinga Cisse; the kingdom was born. Ghana’s geographical position sandwiched between the Sahara desert and the woods aided its rise as an empire. This allowed them to trade with people in the Sahara and the woods, making them wealthy and robust.[Trinity Franklin and William Fan, Civilization: Ghana (n.d)] [Ibid]
Social
In ancient Ghanaian civilization, the family was essential. The family is seen as the cornerstone of all social activity, sustained by a series of kinship networks and marriages. The family is not only the foundation of Ghanaian social institutions, but it is also the primary or single carer for the young and the main source of social protection in the old life. The family is the fundamental unit of production and distribution and the primary social control agent. More importantly, in a region where marriage is nearly ubiquitous, marriage continues to be the primary source of reproduction. Women in premodern Ghanaian culture were viewed as child bearers, farmers, and food dealers. Within the traditional realm, women’s reproductive ability was described as allowing lineage ancestors to reincarnate. As a result, barrenness was seen as the worst affliction.[Ac...