The most ancient African civilisation (sub Sahara)

The most ancient African civilisation south of the Sahara is known as the kingdom of Cush or Kush, located in what is now Sudan.

The first phase of the Cushite civilisation began around 2500 BCE and was centred around the city of Kerma, which is considered the "first urban centre" south of the Sahara. The Kerma culture particularly flourished between about 1780 and 1580 BCE. The language spoken by the Kerma culture may have belonged to the Nilo-Saharan (like the modern-day "Fur" language of Sudan) or Afro-Asiatic (like Semitic, Egyptian or Berber) language family.

Around 1504, the Kingdom of Kerma was invaded by its powerful northern neighbour, Egypt, and was occupied by the Egyptians until about 1070 BCE.

When Egyptian power weakened (what is known "Third Intermediate Period" in Egyptian history, from about 1069 BCE), independence was regained.

The emerging centre of the Cushite civilisation was the city of Napata, founded in 1400s and situated near a sacred mountain called Jebel Barkal, associated with the Egyptian deity Amun Ra. By about 750 BCE, Napata had become very powerful and under rulers Kashta and Piye, invaded its northern neighbour. Cushites ruled Egypt for almost a century as its 25th dynasty (747–656 BCE). At this time, Egyptian was a dominant language, although the local language may have been related to the later Meroitic language.

Around 591 BCE, Napata was destroyed by the Egyptians and the Cushite capital moved to Meroë. Meroë remained the capital of the Cushite civilisation for many centuries, and was often ruled by a Queen who bore the title "Candace/Kandaka". (There is a reference to one such Queen, possibly Amantitere (r. 25-41), in the Book of Acts in the Bible.)

Around the year 330 CE, the Cushite civilisation was finally overthrown by the Kingdom of Axum based in what is now Ethiopia/Eritrea. It was the Kingdom of Axum that c. 316 harboured two Christian captives, including Frumentius of Tyre, who later became the first bishop of Axum when the kingdom of Axum Christianised under king Ezana around 330.

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