Preface
Amadou-Mahtar M'bow, Director-General of Unesco
Description of the Project
B. A. Ogot, President of the International Scientific Committee for the Drafting of a General History of Africa
Note on chronology
General introduction I
J. Ki-Zerbo
The development of African historiography J. D. Fage
The place of history in African society Boubou Hama and J. Ki-Zerbo
Recent trends in African historiography and their contribution to history in general P. D. Curtin
Sources and specific techniques used in African history: general outline T. Obenga
Written sources before the fifteenth century H. Djait
Written sources from the fifteenth century onwards I. Hrbek
Oral tradition and its methodology J. Vansina
The living tradition A. Hampâté Bâ
African archaeology and its techniques including dating techniques Z. Iskander
History and linguistics P. Diagne
Editorial note: theories on the ‘races’ and history of Africa J. Ki-Zerbo
Migrations and ethnic and linguistic differentiations D. Olderogge
African linguistic classification J.H. Greenberg
Appendix to Chapter 12: the language map of Africa D. Dalby
Historical geography: physical aspects S. Diarra
Historical geography: economic aspects A. L. Mabogunje
The interdisciplinary methods adopted in this study J. Ki-Zerbo
Chronological framework: African pluvial and glacial epochs
Part I — R. Saïd
Part II — H. Faure
Hominization: general problems
Part I — Y. Coppens
Part II — L. Balout
African fossil man R. Leakey
The prehistory of East Africa J. E. G. Sutton
Prehistory in Southern Africa J. D. Clark
The prehistory of Central Africa
Part I — R. De Bayle des Hermens
Part II — F. Van Noten
with the collaboration of P. de Maret, J. Moeyersons, K. Muya and E. Roche
The prehistory of North Africa L. Balout
The prehistory of the Sahara H. J. Hugot
The prehistory of West Africa C. T. Shaw
Prehistory in the Nile valley F. Debono
African prehistoric art J. Ki-Zerbo
Origins, development and expansion of agricultural techniques R. Porares and J. Barrau
Discovery and diffusion of metals and development of social systems up to the Fifth century before our era J. Vercoutter
Conclusion: from nature in the raw to liberated humanity J. Ki-Zerbo
List of Members of the International Scientific Committee for the Drafting of a General History of Africa
Biographies of Authors
Bibliography
N.B. Mrs Catherine Perlès contributed to the finalization of Chapters 19, 20, 21 and 24.
Mrs Hélène Roche provided some additional items of information to Chapter