African inventions

[Karl Marx's Camel]

Do you know of any African inventions?

[Anti-establishment]

Bongo Drums

I think

[codyvo]

Do you mean inventions made in Africa or inventions made by people of african descent, if you mean made by african or african-american people than, their is rock&roll, and yes african americans did invent rock&roll despite most thinking that Elvis did, or some shit like that.

[Karl Marx's Camel]

I'm talking about people born in Africa, living in Africa.

[Severian]

Coffee.

[Non-Sectarian Bastard!]

Isn't coffee an arab invention? Don't know if you count Egypt in, but they have a whole load of inventions. Among them papyrus and a whole lot of knowledge on astronomy.

[rebelafrika]

Originally posted by [email protected] 20 2005, 01:16 PM
Do you know of any African inventions?
What's the definition of an invention?

[LSD]

More importantly, what's the definition of African?

And on what time frame are we speaking?

Does Egypt count? Because as Non-Sectarian Bastard! pointed out, it was responsible for litterally thousands of key inventions.

How about the Arabian penninsula? Do the Sumerian or the Persians count?

How about the Muslim empire of the 8th and 9th centuries? Most modern mathematics can be traced back to them, not to mention revolutionary developments in medicine, science, government, organization, writing, production, distribution, agriculture, etc...

[bolshevik butcher]

Wouldn't they be arab?

[LSD]

Wouldn't they be arab?

Well, that's the thing. "Arab" is an ethnic group within Africa.

So, again, NWOG really needs to define what he means by "African" before his question can be answered.

[Phalanx]

Does humans count? Cause then the Great Rift Valley would be like the Detroit of humans or something

[Severian]

Originally posted by Non-Sectarian Bastard!@Jun 20 2005, 09:15 AM
Isn't coffee an arab invention?
No. Native to Ethiopia. At least according to "Guns, Germs, and Steel" by biologist Jared Diamond - an excellent overview of the history of civilization and why Eurasia developed more rapidly than other parts of the world. Availability of domesticable plants and animals, for example. Rapid spread of crops and livestock along the east-west (same climate) axis of Eurasia as opposed to the north-south axis of Africa and the Americas.

Another one would be iron. Not invented first in Africa, but likely invented independently in West Africa.

LSD's right that if you count Egypt (and North Africa) there's a lot more...but socially, economically, and culturally, that's always been a part of Mediterranean civilization (often the leading part) rather than part of a common civilization with sub-Saharan Africa.

[Phalanx]

Another great read is Collapse by Jared Diamondl, I think it's his second book. It demonstrates how the future of the world is likely to fall to cannibalism. That's kind of off the subject, but i thought it might add to the thread.

[Urban Guerrilla]

Africa invented all sorts of drums and instruments.

[Saint-Just]

Originally posted by [email protected] 20 2005, 02:16 PM
Do you mean inventions made in Africa or inventions made by people of african descent, if you mean made by african or african-american people than, their is rock&roll, and yes african americans did invent rock&roll despite most thinking that Elvis did, or some shit like that.
All those white supremacist rock and metal bands obviously do not know this I assume. I always thought the reason that there were no white supremacist rappers is because rap was not created by white people and is largely a music genre dominated by black people.

[Red Heretic]

Gumbo... the soup, although it was popularized in Louisiana.

[codyvo]

It's not an invention really, but rastafarianism was invented in Africa I think.

[comrade_mufasa]

Originally posted by [email protected] 21 2005, 10:37 AM
It's not an invention really, but rastafarianism was invented in Africa I think.
No. It was created in Jamica in the 20s.

[Urban Guerrilla]

But the whole ideal and beliefs are based on Africa :che:

[guerillablack]

Alot of these comment are extremely ignorant.

[ÑóẊîöʼn]

I think this list of Black Inventors (http://inventors.about.com/library/blblackinventors.htm) to be more interesting, and puts paid to white supremacist lies.

[Bugalu Shrimp]

Originally posted by Anti-[email protected] 20 2005, 01:40 PM
Bongo Drums

I think
Bongo's as we know them today are in fact a Cuban hybrid/adaptation of lesser known African hand drums.


Africans discovered fire, water, invented tools, weapons, concepts such as hunting/gathering, using surrounding resources etc.. All your basic functions of early man. We are indeed all descended from maybe 70 of these people.

[Forward Union]

Papyrus paper, Pyramids, and though its debatable, plans for a form of lightbulb were discovered in Egypt. I think the first forms of Crop rotation were from northern Africa :unsure: Many instruments, and certain cocoa recepies! etc etc

A list of Eqypts discoveries and inventions are located here

http://www.geocities.com/wally_mo/inventions.html

[Non-Sectarian Bastard!]

God not again. When you engage in a debate, you have to underbuilt your statements, otherwise it's just plain spam. If you spam this time, i'll add you some warning points. So go ahead, explain which statements are ignorant and say what is the right then.

[LSD]

Gotta love guerillablack and his random assertions! :rolleyes:

[Karl Marx's Camel]

Why make it so complicated?


It should be added that I was also supposed to add "discovery", but I forgot. An example could be a physical law, for example.



Requirments:

- The invention has to be made under a civilization. Inventions made outside an civilization can also be mentioned.

- If the invention was developed in other civilizations, but was created on the African continent under no influence of other societies, then this might be mentioned.





Definition of invention:

The creation of a new technology, item, or discovery of a new process, as opposed to its application in widespread use. Examples:
Gas mask, the radio, penicillin, the light bulb (note: all these are british inventions).


Definition of Africa:

The continent located south of Europe and bordered to the west by the South Atlantic and to the east by the Indian Ocean



A list of Black Inventors are not relevant in itself, as there are blacks all over the world.



So, anything invented or discovered on the African continent?

[CrazyModerate]

Originally posted by Urban [email protected] 21 2005, 01:09 AM
Africa invented all sorts of drums and instruments.
I'd say Africa is responsible for all forms of modern music. Indirectly, Jazz, Blues, Rock, Rock and Roll, Metal, Rap, Hip Hop, R & B, Punk, it all had it's basis in the music of Africa .

[Vallegrande]

Egypt, Greece, all these places got their ideas from Ethiopia.

[Vallegrande]

I heard that the Library of Alexandria contained blueprints to what we know as the industrial revolution. The burning of that library set us back a couple thousand years!

[Karl Marx's Camel]

I'd say Africa is responsible for all forms of modern music. Indirectly, Jazz, Blues, Rock, Rock and Roll, Metal, Rap, Hip Hop, R & B, Punk, it all had it's basis in the music of Africa .

Isn't that pretty weak?

Indirectly, yes. But then again, can we consider a form of music, an invention, or a discovery?

Rock, (indirectly) originated from Africa? :rolleyes:

I'm not talking about indirectly, but directly. At least when it's indirect (IMO) it shouldn't be so indirect that is far-fetched.

Little is known about the Library of Alexandria. And even if it had "blueprints" (what do you mean by this) for the industrial revolution, it is not an invention, or is it?

I am sorry that I may sound critical, but it seem like very little great has come out from Africa. Quite a few of them today live like humans did 30 000 years ago.

So did they make any concrete inventions? Any theories (as an example: Theory of relativity)?

[Karl Marx's Camel]

I think this list of Black Inventors to be more interesting


More interesting, because the expressoin "African inventions" are close to be (if not fully) an oxymoron?

[CrazyModerate]

Originally posted by [email protected] 22 2005, 08:43 PM

I'd say Africa is responsible for all forms of modern music. Indirectly, Jazz, Blues, Rock, Rock and Roll, Metal, Rap, Hip Hop, R & B, Punk, it all had it's basis in the music of Africa .

Isn't that pretty weak?

Indirectly, yes. But then again, can we consider a form of music, an invention, or a discovery?

Rock, (indirectly) originated from Africa? :rolleyes:

I'm not talking about indirectly, but directly. At least when it's indirect (IMO) it shouldn't be so indirect that is far-fetched.

Little is known about the Library of Alexandria. And even if it had "blueprints" (what do you mean by this) for the industrial revolution, it is not an invention, or is it?

I am sorry that I may sound critical, but it seem like very little great has come out from Africa. Quite a few of them today live like humans did 30 000 years ago.

So did they make any concrete inventions? Any theories (as an example: Theory of relativity)?
Ok, the Cajun style of Music is heavily, heavily heavily influenced by African tribal music. And From the cajun style, you next have the Blues, and from blues, you get rock. And from rock you get punk and metal.

Wait a minute. Take your racist thoeries somewhere else.

[Vallegrande]

NWOG: I am sorry that I may sound critical, but it seem like very little great has come out from Africa. Quite a few of them today live like humans did 30 000 years ago.
Haven't you heard of the Ethiopians inhabiting India 50 thousand years back?? Their civilization is older than you know.

By the blueprints NWOG i just mean they were already in the process of accomplishing these goals, until the Pope got scared and told his followers to burn down these heretical libraries.

[Karl Marx's Camel]

Take your racist thoeries somewhere else.


- First off, you are the first one to mention race/racism/racist in this discussion.

- You might be very ideological, but perhaps that is not the smartest thing when reading history, although tools as for example historical materialism can come in handy.

- I consider what you just wrote, a personal attack.



A historian (or one who search for the truth regarding history) has to be as objective as possible. To claim that Africa is an undeveloped country, and has indeed retained on keeping many brutal customs, is not racism. It's an opinion based on historical studies.

Can we have one thread about Africa without accusing each other of being racist?

I am somewhat interested in African history, but because you attack me "for being racist" ( :rolleyes: ), then I suppose you have an inferiority complex? Is that why you attack people?



And also, you discuss music, and claim that they directly "invented" much regarding music. But indirectly, my extrement turned to soil, so I must be the creator of earth? I mean, indirectly. It's a stupid comparison, but you see how far "indirectly" can go.



By the blueprints NWOG i just mean they were already in the process of accomplishing these goals, until the Pope got scared and told his followers to burn down these heretical libraries.

I see.

On an interesting side note (while we are discussing industrialization): China was ready to be industrialized during the 13th century, but just like what you pointed out, religious/fanatical dogma got in the way. So in both cases, dogma held society back.


But hey, seriously, no great invention made in Africa? Just curious.

China (a nation) was responsible for the cannon, the match, the air balloon, gundpowder, printing, and has even invented new things in modern society.

Now, naturally, one might be curious and ask what Africa (a whole continent) has contributed with, because we all know what Asia and Europe has achieved.ac

[Karl Marx's Camel]

Because of my lack of knowledge regarding the African continent, and since you mention Ethiopia, I assume it had a large culture, yes?

What did Ethiopia achieve? Did they invent something new to mankind? Did they discover anything? In other words: What was so special and/or great about Ethiopia? Why did it have influence on other countries? (not rhetoretical questions)

Thanks

[LSD]

The continent located south of Europe and bordered to the west by the South Atlantic and to the east by the Indian Ocean

OK, then, so if you're including Egypt, how can you even ask if any inventions were made?

Egypt is practically the source of Western technological development.


But hey, seriously, no great invention made in Africa? Just curious.

um...yes.

Stuff like:

Paper
Scissors
Black Ink
First Ox-Drawn Plows
The 365 Day Calendar
Organized labor
Sails
water raising
the windmill
the heavy plow
the astrolabe
modern algebra
modern astronomy
hard iron-steel
book binding
point cartography
etc...

[Vallegrande]

What did Ethiopia achieve? Did they invent something new to mankind? Did they discover anything? In other words: What was so special and/or great about Ethiopia? Why did it have influence on other countries? (not rhetoretical questions)

It is a fact that the Ethiopians first settled the Indus valley. They were what made up India before it was invaded, possibly from the Aryans and also from the Greeks. The original statue made of the Buddha was black, and later on more statues began to portray the Buddha as lighter skinned. Ethiopia is referred to by many black writers, like WEB Dubois, and activists, like Marcus Garvey. These people were obviously taught by their parents of the importants of this ancient civilization. The Bible also mentions Ethiopia somewhere, but I haven't read it so I dont know.


There's much historical importance of Ethiopia. Here is something on this place.
Ethiopia (http://home.wanadoo.nl/spaansen/history1.htm)

[Severian]

Originally posted by [email protected] 22 2005, 09:43 PM

What did Ethiopia achieve? Did they invent something new to mankind? Did they discover anything? In other words: What was so special and/or great about Ethiopia? Why did it have influence on other countries? (not rhetoretical questions)

It is a fact that the Ethiopians first settled the Indus valley.
Uh, yeah. They got there on flying saucers.

Seriously: Ethiopians domesticated several unique crops. Most are only cultivated in Ethiopia...coffee is the major exception.

The Ethiopian empire lasted as a continuous political unit for an astonishingly long time, and was the only nation in Africa never part of any European empire (except briefly during WWII.)

After conquering Nubia, it shared a border with the Roman Empire in Egypt. It was recognized as a major power by Romans and Persians. Ethiopia was culturally influenced by its neighbor to the north, including the adoption of Christianity in a characteristically Egyptian form.

Ethiopia became the major center of Coptic Christianity which was persecuted as a "heresy" in Egypt and the rest of the Roman/Byzantine Empire.

It traded with the Arabian peninsula and India as well as Egypt.

At one point Ethiopia maintained a naval presence on the Red Sea to protect its trade routes, and conquered Yemen.

With the rise of Islam Ethiopia became isolated, retreated to the Ethiopian highlands, lost centralization, and stagnated.

Brief history of Ethiopia (http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/encyclopedia/H/Hi/History_of_Ethiopia.htm)

[Karl Marx's Camel]

Thanks for the info.

I did some research, and found out that condoms were developed very early in Egypt. Apparantly, Aloe Vera products started out in South Africa.

[RABBIT - THE - CUBAN - MILITANT]

Can’t believe no one has mentioned spoken/written language. universities, the wheel for fuck sake!, body modification (in the form of scarification), woven fabrics to make clothing ect. .. the list goes on

[Vallegrande]

Uh, yeah. They got there on flying saucers.

Nah, just read a little bit about black history and you'll find out.

I look at the position between Ethiopia and India and I can see, historically, how the two could have possibly been connected to each other. But Im just theorizing.

Does anyone know if Imhotep was of Ethiopian descent?

[RABBIT - THE - CUBAN - MILITANT]

I don’t know if this is true or not but I herd that Indians came out of may years of mixing of the Nubian and Chinese people. anyone know about this theory?

[Karl Marx's Camel]

While we're at it.

Is there such a thing as "white history"?

[Vallegrande]

I don’t know if this is true or not but I herd that Indians came out of may years of mixing of the Nubian and Chinese people. anyone know about this theory?

It is possible. The Indians were originally black, but invasions and acculturation caused a caste system that placed blacks at the lowest with whites at the top. There was definitely interracial mingling later on, creating mixes of race. I think the same thing happened in Egypt.

[bolshevik butcher]

Yeh, why do we always have to define history as black or white. And if arbas count as african then white americans should count as european.

[Vallegrande]

While we're at it.

Is there such a thing as "white history"?

LoL yeah that's all we have been learning about ever since gradeschool!!

[LSD]

Is there such a thing as "white history"?

European History 101
American History 101
World History 101

[Karl Marx's Camel]

LoL yeah that's all we have been learning about ever since gradeschool!!


So true :lol:

No really, I didn't learn anytning in grade school. :unsure:

[Karl Marx's Camel]

The Zulu's had a spear, the Assegai. A very effective weapon. When inserted and extracted into the enemy, it would drain all the blood from the victim.

[Vallegrande]

Another important aspect is the silk road, which encompasses Asia, East Europe, and North Africa, where Ethiopia was, coincidentally. If remnants of Ethiopians have been found in both India and China, I wonder if it was them who inspired the silk road, when their empire was much vaster.