Berbers (ancient world)
The Berbers, the descendants of the ancient inhabitants of North Africa, have a rich and complex history that dates back to at least 2000 BCE. Also referred to as Amazigh, meaning "free man," they primarily inhabit regions stretching from Egypt to the western parts of the continent and speak various languages from the Amazigh family. Their early societies were characterized by agriculture and livestock farming, with some groups maintaining nomadic herding practices.
Throughout history, the Berbers played a significant role in trade between sub-Saharan Africa and the Mediterranean, especially during the time of Phoenician settlements like Carthage. The fall of Carthage brought them into contact with the Roman Empire, where they contributed to the economy of the Maghreb and experienced cultural exchanges with Roman colonists. Following the decline of Roman power, Berber culture persisted, particularly in rural areas, even as they began to adopt Islam in the eighth century CE. Notably, a Berber dynasty is credited with founding the important Islamic center of Timbuktu before the eleventh century. The Berbers’ enduring legacy is reflected in their unique cultural practices, languages, and historical significance in shaping North Africa.
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Berbers (ancient world)
Date: 3000 b.c.e.-700 c.e.
Locale: North Africa
Berbers
The Berbers are the descendants of the ancient inhabitants of North Africa from Egypt westward. They have been known since classical times; the name “Berber” is Greek in derivation, coming from the same root as the English word “barbarian.” The western tribes usually call themselves amazigh, meaning “free man,” and speak languages from the Amazigh language family. They have inhabited North Africa and the Sahara Desert since at least 2000 b.c.e., and their origins are a matter of some speculation. By around 1000 b.c.e., Berber clans had expanded all across North Africa, where they farmed and raised livestock. Some Berber groups still practice nomadic herding or small-scale farming in the rural areas of several northern and western African states.
Rock paintings that survive in the desert suggest that some of the Berbers between 1000 and 100 b.c.e. used light horse-drawn chariots. It has been speculated that they may have used these chariots to transport trade goods, linking sub-Saharan Africa with the Mediterranean world, but some archaeologists believe that the chariots depicted in the paintings were too flimsy to carry a significant amount of cargo. Phoenician settlements along the coast of North Africa such as Carthage took advantage of the Berber trade, exchanging manufactures such as pottery, glass, iron, and bronze for local North African products such as leather and ivory. Their position as middlemen gave several Berber clans power and status, and several small independent kingdoms were founded on the wealth of this trade. Other Berber societies attached themselves to the Phoenicians, adopting parts of their culture and technology.
The fall of Carthage at the end of the Punic Wars brought the Berbers into the Roman world. Rome had allied itself with some of these Berber kingdoms during the second century b.c.e. and shared Carthaginian territory with them following the Third Punic War. Roman colonists arriving in the area through the second century c.e. slowly merged with the dominant Berber culture, and their combined efforts made the Maghreb a major element of the Roman economy. The emperor Lucius Septimius Severus (r. 193-211 c.e.), who had family roots in North Africa, may have had some Berber ancestry. Many urban Berbers converted to Christianity along with the rest of the Roman world during the same period, and unrest among the Berbers contributed to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire. When the Vandals entered North Africa in 429 c.e., they captured the Roman settlements (most significant was the seizure of Carthage in 439 c.e.), but Berbers in the rural areas maintained their traditional culture and language.
Many Berbers adopted Islam as it spread across North Africa in the eighth century c.e., and Berber traders, particularly Tuareg, were probably responsible for introducing the religion into Saharan Africa. A Berber dynasty is credited with establishing the great West African Islamic religious center of Timbuktu sometime before the eleventh century c.e.
Bibliography
Montaigne, Robert. The Berbers: Their Social and Political Organisation. Translated with an introduction by David Seddon. London: Frank Cass, 1973.
Phillipson, David W. African Archaeology. 2d ed. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1993.