Getting to the afterlife was something very important to the Egyptians. That was the reason mummification was so popular. During mummification, sometimes a burial mask was placed over the head of the person being buried. The would make the mask look like the person being buried to help the Gods recognize the person in the afterlife. This mask, like most other masks, was made of painted linen and plaster.
Copper Chisels
Egyptians would use chisels like these along with other tools, such as a saw, to cut soft stone. Once the soft stone was cut and dry, they would place the stones into a pyramid figure. This chisels could have possibly been used to construct some of the greatest pyramids in all of Egypt.
Sandstone bricks from Chapel
When Nubia became a civilization, it was independent for a little while until Egypt took it over. When this occurred, many cultures were mixed. These sandstones were part of a wall from a Nubian chapel. On them are inscriptions of mixed Christian and Islamic cultures.
Gold Coins
These coins contain the face of the great King Ella Amida of Aksum. King Ella brought the idea of Christianity in Aksum. This new idea became so popular that eventually it became the the state religion. This made Aksum the first Christian state in the world. King Ella Amida was a wonderful king and brought not only Christianity, but as well as lots of wealth.
Gold Beads
These beads came from Ghana. Ghana was very well known for its surplus in gold. Ghana was directly on top of a gold mine, so it was already very wealthy. The people of Ghana would use the gold to create new things to trade, such as these beads that were most likely used for jewelry, for other goods found around different parts of Africa.
Quran
This is a Quran, a sacred book of Islam. You can think of it almost as a bible but for Muslims. This was not from Mali, however they used Qurans. When Mansa Musa was ruling, he truly helped to influence Islam in Mali. He helped to build more mosques, libraries, and universities as learning centers for Islam.
Blanket from Songhai
Songhai was known for its trade with other countries. Some of this trade may have included cloth. This blanket was made of cloth from different Asian and European countries. They used this blanket for marriage ceremonies. They would drape multiple blankets, like this one, on the back of the wall where the couple was married. They would also place blankets on the platform where the newlyweds would sit. This shows how trade mixed with everyday life.
Portuguese Sword
This sword was used by the Portuguese. The state of Kilwa was attacked and left devastated after the Portuguese came to conquer it. They took over Kilwa because they wanted to have control of the Indian Ocean's trade routes. Kilwa was very well known for its trading as well. They would trade gold, slaves, and ivory for items unavailable in their area, such as cloth, beads, metals, silk, and porcelain.
Photograph of Kilwa Architecture
Kilwa was one of the many African states that was influenced by Islam. Not only did they follow the religion, but they also followed most of their architectural patterns. These patterns included stone and fossilized coral. This was most likely a temple or government building.
Silver Bracelet from Great Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe had many mines that included many important minerals, such as gold and silver. The people of Zimbabwe created new goods out of those minerals, like bracelets, religious items, weaponry, and tools. This bracelet was made of the silver that come from the mines of Zimbabwe. A bracelet similar to this would have been traded.
