Using stories he collected from narrators from the old West African kingdom of Benin, the author shows how the present mirrors the past in both folklore and political reality, suggesting that African states fail to create a level playing field for the plural identities within their borders, leaving marginalized peoples uncertain of their place in an uneven socio-political landscape.

Forgotten Africa introduces the general reader and beginning student to Africa's past, emphasizing those aspects only known or best known from archaeological and related evidence. It covers four million years of history across the continent, examining important aspects of Africa's momentous human story. Graham Connah is concerned to raise public awareness, both inside and outside Africa, to this frequently overlooked and often forgotten subject. Forgotten Africa examines: * human origins, * the material culture of hunter gatherers * the beginnings of African farming, the development of metallurgy * the emergence of distinctive artistic traditions * the growth of cities and states * the expansion of trading networks * the impact of European and other external contacts. The result is a fascinating and important story told in a straightforward and readable manner.

Extrait de amazon.com : "Among Africanists and feminists, the Igbo-speaking women of southeastern Nigeria are well known for their history of anti-colonial activism which was most demonstrated in the 1929 War against British Colonialism. Perplexed by the magnitude of the Women's War, the colonial government commissioned anthropologists/ethnographers to study the Igbo political system and the place of women in Igbo society. The primary motive was to have a better understanding of the Igbo in order to avoid a repeat of the Women's War. This study will analyze the complexity and flexibility of gender relations in Igbo society with emphasis on such major cultural zones as the Anioma, the Ngwa, the Onitsha, the Nsukka, and the Aro."