Africa

      In the past if you were tou travel towards the Horn of Africa, you would encounter a kingdom called Aksum. The Kingdom of Aksum lasted 800 years. It was located near modern day countries Eritrea and Ethiopia. They were south of the Kush on a plateau on the Red Sea. The Kingdom of Aksum, being more powerful than the Kush, conquered the Kush. Rulers of Askum, in their earlier days, took control of land near the Red Sea and the Blue Nile.

      The Aksumites took control of lands on the Southwestern Arabian Penninsula.  Aksum's expanison made it possible for them to create trading settlements. They had access to the Mediterrean Sea and Indian Ocean. These trading settlements became colonies of farmers and traders. The farmers of Aksum created a new type of farming:terrace farming. This new type of agriculture helped them with their mountainous land. Terrace farming also helped the soil retain water and prevented the crops from being washed downhill. The farmers also dug canals from the mountains to the fields.

          The colonies were also filled with traders. They traded with Egypt, India, the Roman Empire and many more. They traded salt, horns, shells, ivory, emerald, and gold. They were one of the only kingdoms that had a written language. It was called Ge'ez.The Kingdom of Aksum reached its height around A.D 325 to 360. The people of Aksum were a blend between Arab and Kushites. This new group of people believed their kings were descended from their god, Mahrem. Merchants from other places shared their religion with the Aksumites. One of these religions, Christianity, was introduced to their king Ezanna, when he was a child, by a prisoner. When he became king, he made their offical religion Christianity.