Primary Sources: Ancient History: Africa

"The ruins of the ancient city of Aksum are found close to Ethiopia's northern border. They mark the location of the heart of ancient Ethiopia, when the Kingdom of Aksum was the most powerful state between the Eastern Roman Empire and Persia. The massive ruins, dating from between the 1st and the 13th century A.D., include monolithic obelisks, giant stelae, royal tombs and the ruins of ancient castles. Long after its political decline in the 10th century, Ethiopian emperors continued to be crowned in Aksum." Description is available under license CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0 https://whc.unesco.org/en/licenses/6

"Coins have a unique significance in the history of Aksum. They are particularly important because they provide evidence of Aksum and its rulers. The inscriptions on the coins highlight the fact that Aksumites were a literate people with knowledge of both Ethiopic and Greek languages." https://smarthistory.org/aksumite-coins/

"On this site historical sources on the history of human societies in the continent of Africa are presented, when available, without making prejudgements about what is "African". "

"...features 32 manuscripts from the Mamma Haidara Commemorative Library and the Library of Cheick Zayni Baye of Boujbeha, both in Timbuktu, Mali. The manuscripts presented online are displayed in their entirety and are an exemplary grouping that showcase the wide variety of subjects covered by the written traditions of Timbuktu, Mali, and West Africa."

"Explore 40,000 manuscripts guarded by Dr. Abdel Kader Haidara and SAVAMA-DCI, showcasing Africa’s greatest written legacy."