Spread of Farming and Iron-Working into Zambia

This piece of knowledge sharing presents the process of Spread of farming and iron-working into Zambia across history.

The movement of Bantu-speaking people into Zambia during the Iron Age led to farming and iron-working spreading to Zambia as well. Origin of farming and iron-working from the Fertile Crescent in the Middle East to the Nile Valley.

The Spread of Farming into Zambia

• Agriculture started in the Middle East around the Mediterranean Sea, in an area called Fertile Crescent; it is so because this place is shaped like a crescent or half-moon, was so good for growing crops.
• Around 3000 BC, people in Tigris and Euphrates valleys developed the knowledge of domesticating animals and growing cereal crops such as millet, oats, wheat and rice.
• This was possible due to the development of Iron Age.
• People could make tools for farming and protecting themselves. Examples of tools include hoes.
• Farming skills spread to Egypt under Pharaohs through bartering, around 600 BC.
• People from Tigris and Euphrates valley exchanged their cereals and iron tools for salt and gold from Egypt.
• This taught the Egyptians the skill of growing crops. They started growing grapes and other fruits along the valley.

How farming spread beyond the Fertile Crescent

• Other Africans came into contact with the Egyptians and also learned about farming.
• They began crop farming; that is, growing cereal crops and pastoral farming; that is keeping goats, camel and sheep for milk and meets.
• Trade between Egypt and inland Africa helped farming to spread to West Africa into Africa and in the same way Farming spread from crescent to other parts of the world.

Reasons why farming took time to reach central and southern Africa

• Central Africa had plenty of wild food and game, which supported the hunter gatherers who originally lived there in small groups
• Central Africa is very far away from Egypt
• The forest and swamps also led to tropical diseases, so people from other climates did not always survive journey inland.
• The tropical rainforests and swamps of central Africa made it difficult for people to move between there and north Africa.

Importance of iron technology for the Bantu speakers

• It led to the development of farming.
• Increase in the production of food due to development of iron tools.
• Development of long distance trade. The development of farming helped to increase trade.
• The development of farming and trade due to iron technology led to the development of other technological improvements.
• For example, Arad traders built wooden boats called dhows to sail from the Middle East to the east Africa coast.