African History: Pre-Colonial African Inventions
You may be aware of the invention of the light bulb filament by Lewis Lattimer or the many discoveries about the peanut by George Washington Carve or the development of the first traffic signal by Garrett Morgan. It is finally a fact that many of the things we take for granted today were invented by African Americans. What you may not be aware of is that there were also many African inventions predating the discovery of America.
Africa was the location where the earliest human beings lived. Therefore, it is not unusual that many of the first inventions and discoveries occurred in Africa. Egypt is the northernmost country in Africa and is known for its rich culture and civilization. Egyptians are given credit for many discoveries such as paper, embalming and early medicines.
History has taught that Africa was a dark, undeveloped, and unsophisticated continent and that the arrival of Europeans is what caused it to become civilized. The truth that while Africa had a different way of living than Europeans, Africans were as creative as any one else. It is even possible that Africa was on the brink of technological advancement before they were colonized. However, there were several Pre-Colonial African Inventions; most of them date from ancient times.
The discovery of fire can be dated back to 1.4 million years ago in South African caves. By 1 million years ago, there is evidence that humans were able to transport and better control fire.
Oil Palm was discovered in West Africa in native oil palm plant (Elaeis guineensis). It dates back to 3000 BC and was used throughout Africa an Egypt.
Yam cultivation , and hence farming began between the years 8000 and 3000 BC. Yams were first cultivated in West African and New Guinea.
Glass tools used for shaving were discovered in 2000 AD and made from volcanic glass found along the Africa Njoro River.
The water pipe also more commonly known as the Bong was created around 1460 BC in Ethiopia and was originally used for smoking hashish. It is believed to be a predecessor of the hookah. The first water pipes were built into the ground.
Iron was first smelt in furnaces around 450 BC in Nigeria by the People of the Nok culture in West Africa. In 1928, archaeologists unearthed an amazing culture in the Nigerian village of Nok. They discovered by heating certain rocks they were able to reshape it into useful tools.
There is little evidence of inventions made in Africa from the classical times up to the colonial times. There have been numerous African inventions within the last century. Some of the newest inventions include the Kreepy Krauly, which is an automatic pool cleaner, and the CAT Scan.
It is very important to be aware of this information because while much of Africa, still to this day considered an undeveloped nation, it is important to realize that many modern day conveniences could not exist without the inventions that came out of African many years ago. No invention can stand on its own. Each is built upon inventions and discoveries that preceded it.
It is also important for young Africans and people of African Descent to know that their people have made important contributions to the world.
