DISCUSS THE FACTORS FOR THE RISE, DEVELOPMENT AND FALL OF INDIGENOUS IRON TECHNOLOGY (Ay 304)



The iron age is consider as the last of three technological periods in human civilization, preceded by bronze age and the stone age that marked by switch from bronze forging to iron smelting which changed human technology at every level
Therefore iron technology is the cultural changes that involve the skills, knowledge’s and ideas of making and using iron tools from the iron ores. This technology emerged as every essential in East Africa as well as the world in general
The emergence of iron technology involved in different places for example  in Europe the iron technology emerged after the collapse of the bronze age while in Africa iron technology emerged after the end of stone age that is late stone age (philipson,2005)  
In fact iron technology it was originated in Africa and it was developed by indigenous African especially Bantu speaking people who were the first Africa people to discover and possess iron, so we call them as Iron Age people. Therefore there is various evidence which shows that iron technology was developed by indigenous Tanzanians especially Bantu speaking people such evidences are;
Through foreigner’s documents, about the practice of iron technology from the second part of the first millennium AD for instance Al-Masudi in 915 AD shows that iron tools were used in the “Zenji” land (Land of Blacks) instead of gold and silver. Also Al-Idris in 100-66 AD shows that the people of Malindi and Mombasa exploited iron mines and that iron was an article of trade and source of largest profit (Freeman-Greenville 1962:16).
In 1960’s there was the rose of skepticism brought about additional studies conducted at original sites for example Hamo-Sassoon (1967) studies Engaruka which had been identified as an iron age site. He asserted that the site showed to have accommodated different occupation in different periods and it is pottery was distinct from the pottery types found in other Iron Age cultures in Africa. He based in different radiocarbon dates which gave first and second millennium periods of the occupation of the sites and on the different pottery collected from the foot hills and on the hill side site.


Therefore iron technology it contributed to the development agriculture activities, permanent settlement, population growth, formation of states whereby there are rulers and ruled people. And also iron technology was the genesis of warfare for example Ngoni invaded the people of Tanzania because of their good possession of iron weapons such as sharp arrows, spears, knives and so on. Also iron technology it led to the increase of social stratification and differentiation among indigenous Tanzanian societies.


                                            REFERENCE
Mapunda, B. (2002) Ufundi Chuma Asilia Afrika Mashariki; Kukua na Kukomaa Kwake.
                                 Peramiho Printing Press
Shillington, K. (1995) History of Africa, Revised edition. Macmillan Education Ltd. London
Chami, F. (1994) The Tanzania, Coast in the First Millennium AD. Archaeology of the Iron                    Working, Farming Communities (With Microscopic Analysis by A. Lindah

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