CCA Colloquium: Thebe Medupe

Title: African Astronomy in the last 400 years

Abstract: African peoples created empires such as the Mali, Ghana, Great Zimbabwe and Zulu empires in the last 1000 years. They were able to do this because their agricultural systems relied on having good calendrical systems. These calendars depended on observing stars and the moon. This knowledge of astronomy was very important for these societies. In this talk I will outline and describe the knowledge of stars by various African societies with emphasis on Southern and West Africa. I will also present evidence of astronomy lessons in Schools in West Africa 300 years ago. All of this will be based on my experiences of travelling to these parts of Africa and my study of these cultures.

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