Lecture Hall

Extracted from Description: “Archeologists and scholars are learning more about Africa than ever before, from the digitization of records and the unearthing of ancient treasures. Audie Cornish talks with Henry Louis Gates Jr. of Harvard University about Africa’s rich but overlooked history and how his six-part PBS series “Africa’s Great Civilizations” took shape.”

Extracted from Description: “Do you prefer iron produced at massive scales by industrial centers, or artisanally handcrafted by your local family smelter operation? Is iron-making a form of witchcraft or a potent symbol of royal might? Long ago in Africa, it might be both! @HowMineralsMadeCivilization travels back in time to look at the vibrant iron-making industries that underpinned hunting, farming, warfare, and technology across sub-Saharan Africa.”

Extracted from Description: “David Olusoga discusses Benin bronzes created from the 16th century in West Africa, and how these works of art now reside in the British Museum.”

Extracted from Description: “The coast of Kenya has a series of impressive medieval ruins. Amongst the monuments are tombs, grand houses, mosques, and palaces. In this lecture, Robin Walker will present this heritage and put it in its proper place as a powerful chapter in Africa's history. A lecture by Robin Walker”

Extracted from Description: “In the lush forests of modern-day Central African Republic, sometime between 1800 and 1500 BC, craftsmen are believed to have discovered iron. New evidence indicates that ironworking began in the heart of Africa.”

The History of Africa from the 16th to the 20th Century traces four centuries of transformative change across the continent, from the rise and fall of powerful kingdoms and empires to the disruptive forces of the transatlantic slave trade, colonial conquest, and early independence movements.

Extracted from Description: “Through the insights of experts and the lived experiences of a San guide, the film takes a look at rock paintings that have endured for more than 75,000 years—evoking a deep cultural continuum between past and present. This documentary series directed by Sosena Solomon examines some of Africa’s notable cultural landscapes and their continued relevance to local communities. This initiative introduces new content that reframes The Met’s new Arts of Africa galleries.”

Extracted from Description: “Great Zimbabwe, the largest medieval stone complex in sub-Saharan Africa, is a remarkable feat of engineering. This film is part of Africa’s Cultural Landmarks, produced by The Metropolitan Museum of Art in collaboration with World Monuments Fund.”

Extracted from Description: “In this first episode, Zeinab Badawi travels across the continent examining the origins of humankind; how and why we evolved in Africa - Africa is the greatest exporter of all time: every human being originated in Africa.”

This documentary explores the rise of Great Zimbabwe and the earliest urban centers of Southern Africa, uncovering their architecture, trade networks, and cultural significance. It highlights the ingenuity and complexity of societies that flourished long before colonial disruption, offering a deeper understanding of Africa’s urban past. Featured content is provided for educational purposes.

Extracted from Description: “Zeinab Badawi continues her journey through the history of human development travelling to meet the Maasai of east Africa - one of the best known of the continent’s ethnic groups.”

Extracted from Description: “Zeinab Badawi’s quest to uncover the history of Africa takes her to Egypt where she explores the most famous civilisation on the continent that of the ancient Egyptians.”

Extracted from Description: “Stepping into one of the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela is an experience unlike any other…This film is part of Africa’s Cultural Landmarks, produced by The Metropolitan Museum of Art in collaboration with World Monuments Fund. This documentary series directed by Sosena Solomon examines some of Africa’s notable cultural landscapes and their continued relevance to local communities.”

Extracted from Description: “The Scramble for Africa, Explained.” The ‘Scramble for Africa’ refers to the rapid colonization and partition of African territories by European powers between the 1880s and the onset of World War I.

Please note that the author of this video has been subject to scholarly critique. Viewers are advised to approach the material with a critical perspective and to consult a range of sources in order to develop a balanced and rigorous understanding of the topic.

Extracted from Description: “High in Ethiopia’s Northern Highlands, the rock-hewn churches of Tigray stand as breathtaking sanctuaries of faith carved into sandstone cliffs. This documentary series directed by Sosena Solomon examines some of Africa’s notable cultural landscapes and their continued relevance to local communities. This initiative introduces new content that reframes The Met’s new Arts of Africa galleries”

Extracted from Description: “In the North of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, one finds a church that was built in 434 AD. This church was the first of about 120 other churches built in the Tigray region. We find out from the keepers of the Ark.”

Extracted from Description: “If churches were assessed by their risk factor, Abuna Yemata Guh would be our new Sistine Chapel. Perched 650 feet above a steep cliff in Northern Ethiopia, visitors face a 45-minute climb up the cliff’s vertical face in order to access the precariously positioned church. Dating back to the 5th century, history has it that its founder Father Yemata built the chapel to be closer to heavenly spirits; however, others claim it was a strategic move to avoid his enemies.”

Extracted from Description: “In this episode Zeinab Badawi travels to the country of her birth and the very region of her forefathers and mothers: northern Sudan where she sheds light on this little-known aspect of ancient African history, the great Kingdom of Kush. Zeinab visits the best preserved of Sudan’s one thousand pyramids and shows how some of the ancient customs of Kush have endured to this day. “

Extracted from Description: “Zeinab Badawi travels to the rarely visited country of Eritrea and neighbouring Ethiopia to chart the rise of the kingdom of Aksum. Described as one of the four greatest civilisations of the ancient world Zeinab examines archaeological remains in both countries dating back many hundreds of years before our common era. “

Extracted from Description: “In this episode Zeinab Badawi focuses on the fall of the kingdom of Aksum and how the Christian kings who followed in the wake of its demise left powerful legacies especially that of King Lalibela who ruled in the 12/13th century.”

Extracted from Description: “With the second highest death-toll of all African conflicts, the Nigerian Civil war (also known as the Biafran war) is perhaps the single most significant event in Nigerian history.”

Extracted from Description: “In this episode Zeinab Badawi’s exploration of Africans’ rich history focuses on North Africa. She goes to Morocco to find out about the original inhabitants of the region in particular the Berbers or Amazigh as they prefer to be called.”

Extracted from Description: “Nigeria's civil war in the late 1960s is famous for two things: its brutality and the bizarre sides that the world's powers took in the conflict. One side was supported by the UK, USA (tacitly), the Soviet Union and Israel whereas the other was supported by France, the People's Republic of China and also Israel. So what on earth happened? To find out watch this short and simple animated history documentary.”

Extracted from Description: “In this episode Zeinab Badawi visits rarely seen historic sites and magnificent ruins in Mali and Mauritania in west Africa. We hear from Africans about how trans-Saharan trade, mainly in gold, meant that by about the 7th century rich kingdoms became established in West Africa.”

Extracted from Description: “Off the coast of present-day Tanzania, Kilwa Kisiwani and Songo Mnara are testaments to centuries of global cultural exchange and maritime wealth. This initiative introduces new content that reframes The Met’s new Arts of Africa galleries. Learn more about the Historic Towns of Kilwa Kisiwani and Songo Mnara here: https://www.metmuseum.org/perspective...”

Extracted from Description: “Getting to the ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani in Tanzania, East Africa is no easy task. But the trek to the island is worth it; Kilwa Kisiwani (“isle of the fish”) was once one of the greatest cities of the Swahili culture. In the 10th century, it made its fortunes by trading the riches of the African interior: gold, ivory, timber, and other valuable treasures. Until the Portuguese showed up in the 16th century, Kilwa Kisiwani was a wealthy and powerful port.”

Extracted from Description: “In this episode, Zeinab Badawi travels to Ghana and Cote D’Ivoire to find out about the Asante people and their kingdom. We examine the history, myths and legends of the Asante people. We attend the Akwasidae, a colourful festival where the King of the kings of the Asante - known as the Asantehene - has his gold regalia on full display as a way of projecting wealth and prestige.”

Extracted from Description: “Nok Culture: A History Of Ancient West African Culture”

Extracted from Description: “Much is known about enslaved Africans once they arrived in the Americas and Europe, but in this episode Zeinab Badawi looks at the impact on Africa itself of one of the most evil chapters in human history: the trans Atlantic slave trade.”

Extracted from Description: “In this episode Zeinab Badawi travels to Angola, DRC and Congo in central Africa to bring the history of the great Kongo Empire. She hears about the critical role played by women in African history such as Queen Nzinga who battled the Portuguese for a quarter of a century in the 1600s and a few decades later Kimpa Vita who was burned alive after her failed resistance.”