Fall Term, 2018-2019
Professor: Daphne Gallagher
4 credits
CRN 12816: Monday & Wednesday, 14:00 – 15:20 @ GSH 103
During the Middle Ages, West Africa was home to societies ranging from empires to egalitarian polities. Despite its cosmopolitan cities, extensive commercial systems, and extraordinary wealth, West Africa has been largely excluded from discussions of the global medieval world due to the persistence of colonial era narratives and the scarcity of written accounts. In this course, we will explore how results from archaeological excavations can be integrated with oral historical and archival data to expand our understandings of this era. While the primary focus will be on local and regional developments in West Africa, we will also examine the region’s involvement in world events.