adze
a cutting tool, used in sculpture to rough-shape wood

arid
having insufficient rainfall to support agriculture

delta
(DEL tah) a swampy, low-lying area where the Niger River runs into the Atlantic Ocean

desertification
drought, spread of desert

Djenne
(JEH nay) a trading city in ancient Mali founded in the 15th century A.D.

Dogon
(DOH gahn) a people of present-day Mali whose ancestors built their houses on the sides of steep cliffs in the 14th century A.D.

Ghana
(GAH nah) from the 8th to 13th centuries A.D., the first of three ancient gold-trading empires of West Africa

griot
(GREE oh) the name for a western African singer/storyteller who recites oral history; also called a bard or jeli

habitat
the natural environment of an organism; place that is natural for the life and growth of an organism

hajj
Islamic pilgrimage to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, in present-day Saudi Arabia

Ibn Battuta
(IH bihn bah TOO tah) - a famous traveler and historian of Africa and Asia during the 14th century

Islam
(Islahm) the most widely practiced religion in Africa The five pillars of Islam: prayer, giving of alms, fasting during the holy month of Ramadan, pilgrimage to Mecca, and faith

Jenne-jeeno
(JEH nay JEH noh) a city found two miles from Djenne; artifacts show it flourished for 1,600 years before it was abandoned

khosa
wool blanket

Mandinka
(man DINK ah) a people of western Africa whose ancestors are believed to have founded Mali

Mansa Musa
(MAN sah MOO sah) the emperor of Mali, famous for his pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324 A.D.

Mecca
(MEHK ah) the holy city of Islam, located in Saudi Arabia

mosque
(MAHsk) Islamic house of prayer and centers for Islamic learning

Niger
(NIE jer) a river in western Africa that supported the civilizations of Ghana, Mali, and Songhay

piroques
(pE rOg) a boat like a canoe

pui
a poem about a hero, also called a praise song

Sahara
(sah HAH rah) the world’s largest desert, located in northern Africa from the Arabic name Al-Sahra meaning “the desert” covers a landmass larger than the United States. Thousands of years ago it was a fertile and inhabitable region until drought forced migration

Sahel
(sah HEEL) a region in what is now northern Nigeria and Cameroon, believed to be the origin of ancestors of Bantu-speaking peoples

Songhay
(song HAY) the last of three gold-trading empires of ancient western Afica, from the 15th to 16th centuries A.D.

Soninke
(Sohn EEN kay) a people of western Africa whose ancestors were believed to have founded Ghana in the 8th century A.D.

Sundiata
(soon dee AH tah) or Sundjata Keita, a mighty emperor of Mali who, according to legend, overcame a handicapping illness as a child

Sunni Ali Ber
(SOO nee AH lee berh) the founder of the Songhay empire in 1473 A.D.

Tombouctou
(also know today as Timbuktu) the center of commerce and learning in ancient Mali. The city's origins are found in the desert encampments of nomads, dating from before the 11th century. Local lore tells of an old woman named Bouctou who was asked to guard the wells of wandering Tuareg nomads. Tin-Bouctou means "the place of Bouctou's wells."