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The Kingdom of Asante

Asante in West Africa was a kingdom that was built on gold and slaves, which ensured its important place in an economy that linked three continents.

We know less about Africa's distant past than almost anywhere else on Earth. But the scarcity of written records doesn't mean that Africa lacks history - it is found instead in the culture, artefacts and traditions of the people. In this series, art historian Dr Gus Casely-Hayford explores some of the richest and most vibrant histories in the world, revealing fascinating stories of four complex and sophisticated civilisations: the Kingdom of Asante, the Zulu Kingdom, the Berber Kingdom of Morocco and the Kingdoms of Bunyoro & Buganda.

In this episode, Dr Casely-Hayford travels to Ghana in West Africa, where a powerful kingdom once dominated the region. Asante was built on gold and slaves, which ensured its important place in an economy that linked three continents. He reveals how this sophisticated kingdom emerged from the unlikely environment of dense tropical forest and how it was held together by a shared sense of tradition and history - one deliberately moulded by the kingdom's rulers.

1 hour

Last on

Mon 30 Sep 2013 23:55

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Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Gus Casely-Hayford
Presenter Gus Casely-Hayford
Series Producer Ross Harper
Series Producer Ross Harper
Executive Producer Rachel Bell
Executive Producer Rachel Bell
Director Mark Bates
Director Mark Bates

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