Table of Contents

Figures; Preface and acknowledgements; 1. Introduction; 2. Concepts and questions; 3. Corridor or cul-de-sac: the middle Nile; 4. The benefits of isolation: the Ethiopian highlands; 5. An optimal zone: the West African savanna; 6. Brilliance beneath the trees: the West African forest and its fringes; 7. The edge or the centre: cities of the East African coast; 8. A question of economic basis: Great Zimbabwe and related sites; 9. The problem of archaeological visibility: other precolonial cities and states in tropical Africa; 10. What are the common denominators?; Bibliography; Index.

Reviews

'… provides an even-handed synthesis that will be of value to students of African history and archaeology alike.' Journal of African History