Ancient Africa

Ancient Africa was home to the first humans who evolved from apelike creatures that roamed the continent millions of years ago. Over time, many early human ancestors migrated away from Africa to other parts of the world. At first, those who stayed were hunter-gatherers who lived in small, nomadic groups. Thousands of years ago, civilizations began to develop in northern Africa. One of the largest and most famous was the ancient Egyptian civilization. During the past two thousand years, several other civilizations developed in Africa. Many of these kingdoms became very powerful and controlled important regions of the continent.

The oldest human ancestors are believed to have evolved in Africa more than six million years ago. Over millions of years,...