African Civilizations, Precolonial Cities and States in Tropical Africa: An Archaeological Perspective

Abstract

Figures Preface and acknowledgements 1. Introduction 2. Concepts and questions 3. Corridor or cul-de-sac: the middle Nile 4. The benefits of isolation: the Ethiopian highlands 5. An optimal zone: the West African savanna 6. Brilliance beneath the trees: the West African forest and its fringes 7. The edge or the centre: cities of the East African coast 8. A question of economic basis: Great Zimbabwe and related sites 9. The problem of archaeological visibility: other precolonial cities and states in tropical Africa 10. What are the common denominators? Bibliography Index.