African Empires - A timeline from 1st - 15th centuries AD/CE, from Central Oregon Community College.

Axum - Brief history of Axum and the Aksumites, located in the Ethiopian highlands near the Red Sea.

Christians in Ethiopia - The beginning of Christianity in the Kingdom of Aksum and its subsequent spread throughout Ethiopia.

The World of the Mande - History, art and ritual in the Mande culture, including discussions of caste and class, roles, and cosmogony.

City Plan of Ife - Map and information on the City of Ife, from the Harvard University Baobab Project.

The Swahili Kingdoms - Short discussion of Swahili civilizations at Civilizations in Africa.

Ife - Discussion of early Yoruba city-state, with Ife trade routes, portrait heads, and false kings.

The Mwenemutapa (Great Zimbabwe) - Overview of one of the first of the centralized states in southeastern Africa and part of the Bantu-speaking culture.

Songhay - Brief discussion of the Songhay people at Civilizations in Africa.

Lawgiving and the Administration of Justice in Some African and Other Early States - Presentation of early lawgiving and justice in early Africa, from African Studies Quarterly.

Great Zimbabwe - Information about the ruins of Great Zimbabwe, as well as rock painting dating back 30,000 years.

Africa's Ancient Empires and States - Overview of early empires, states, and city-states in Africa.