Periodising African History

In this seminar we explore how periodising African history in relation to colonisation has and continues to affect African studies.

We explore: 

• Traditional periodisation of history in African culture;
• How continental, regional, and national textbooks have periodised African history;
• Historical periodisation in Africa’s first history departments – Case Studies of the first history departments at the University of Ibadan, 1948, and the University of Dar es Salaam, 1964;
• Periodisation of African history in non-African history departments today – Case Studies of European and North American Universities; 
• And how all of this shapes how Africa and Africans have and continue to be studied.