Importance of Iron to the Evolution of Civilization in Africa Essay

Importance of Iron to the Evolution of Civilization in Africa - Essay Example While paying attention to the Iron Age in Africa, this expose elucidates the important role of iron to the evolution of civilization in the continent of Africa. African used stones as tools to conduct their daily activities during the first Millennium (â€Å"Early Iron Age in Sub Saharan Africa,† n.d.). In this regard, the activities that they engaged in included hunting and gathering, which was the main source of livelihood for a majority of Africans. Therefore, there were no signs of metalwork in Africa in this millennium. However, the continent traces early signs of metalwork in Egypt during the fifth millennium (â€Å"Early Iron Age in Sub Saharan Africa,† n.d.). In this regard, the first metalwork witnessed in the continent was technology in copper work. Indeed, this innovation coincided with farming and agriculture in the Nile Valley, which is the earliest civilization in Africa (â€Å"Early Iron Age in Sub Saharan Africa,† n.d.). While copper was the first metal for Africans to work with, there are several standpoints regarding the origin of iron in Africa. Nevertheless, there is a common agreement that the first evidence for work related to iron was in the second millennium (â€Å"Early Iron Age in Sub Saharan Africa,† n.d.). According to archeological standpoints, iron traces its origin on two different perspectives. In the first perspective, archeologists identify the invention of iron by the indigenous Africans as the group that invented iron (â€Å"Early Iron Age in Sub Saharan Africa,† n.d.). Archeologists who support this position indicate that Africans invented iron smelting by borrowing from the techniques they used in copper smelting (â€Å"Early Iron Age in Sub Saharan Africa,† n.d.). On the other hand, a second group of archeologists traces the origin of iron in Africa from the surrounding continents and specifically the continent of Asia (â€Å"Early Iron Age in Sub Saharan Africa,† n.d.). In this regard, the archeologists who support this viewpoint indicate that smelting of iron diffused into the continent through Egypt. It is crucial to point out that Egypt is close to the countries in the Arabic area of the continent of Asia. In this case, Egypt received the technology and spread it to the rest of Africa. The interaction of the kingdom of Meroe with the Egyptians is a contributing factor in the spread of iron technology and its crucial role in the evolution of civilization. In this regard, the principal craft for the people of Meroe was using the iron technology to make iron tools (â€Å"Early Iron Age in Sub Saharan Africa,† n.d.). The tools previously used by the people of Meroe were not of superior quality, since the only technology before the use of iron was use of stones or copper. In this regard, iron provided the people of Meroe who engaged in farming and hunting with more superior tools (â€Å"Early Iron Age in Sub Saharan Africa,† n.d.). In effe ct, the new tools ensured that there was more production of food and hunting became more productive. In addition, these superior tools paved way for a stronger army amongst the Meroe since they now had superior tools. In addition, they could capture strong animals like the elephants, which they used during wars (â€Å"Early Iron Age in Sub Saharan Africa,† n.d.). Thus, iron was important to the evolution of civilization in Africa since there were inventions of superior tools used in farming and

William Gilpin, On Picturesque Beauty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

William Gilpin, On Picturesque Beauty - Essay Example In his essay Gilpin demonstrates that the ;picturesque can both be the objective of the travels (though it may not be the only objective as per rational reasons) and it will be the sole source of amusement. Gilpin introduces the idea that the philosophy of creation and appreciation of beauty cannot be done in isolation from the sublime. The quality of greatness that is sublime, whether it occurs in a physical, metaphysical, spiritual or artistic form cannot be considered picturesque if exists without a certain degree of beauty. An apt example given is that of a vast ocean which is sublime in its power but without any other object or point of reference to increase the overall beauty of the scenery it depicts it will not be considered picturesque and thus, will not provide any great source of pleasure for the viewer. The objective of the picturesque travel is to seek out such a combination of form, composition, color and atmosphere which comes together as the perfect aesthetic blend of sublime and beauty. Andin the case of nature, the seeker is fortunate as there are innumerous examples and varieties of objects to be found which together create picturesque forms of scenery. â€Å"They are varied, a second time,  combination; and almost as much, a third time, by different  lights,  and shades, and other aerial effects. Sometimes we find among them the exhibition of a  whole; but oftener we find only beautiful  parts.† (Giplin) Animals, humans and the great ruins which form the landscape for the traveler can all be a part of the picturesque. But again it is their form and the overall scene the depict that is of concern in this kind of study- though with all these elements to consider those who have a love of the picturesque can a find great variety to amuse themselves with even in just the pure nature. According to the author, there is more beauty to be found in the usual occurrences than the unusual. He describes

The Controversy Surrounding the law on the Positive Role of the French Essay

The Controversy Surrounding the law on the Positive Role of the French Presence Overseas - Essay Example This law, otherwise known as the 'February 23, 2005' law, was passed quietly in February of 2005, but came to prominence in the autumn when there was an overwhelming vote by conservative deputies against a bid to revoke the phrase. This touched off on a debate about whether France, whose empire ended in bloody wars in Indochina and Algeria, had learnt from its colonial experience. The trouble started in February when lawmakers quietly slipped a clause into a bill requiring schools to "recognize in particular the positive character of the French overseas presence, notably in North Africa." Some of the key players in this situation would be: President Jacques Chirac of Paris, Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy, Gilles Manceron, and Olivier Petre-Grenouilleau - a respected historian who was accused of making statements in an interview which implied that the slave trade was not a crime against humanity. (In fact, he said that it didn't constitute genocide). Gilles Manceron noted that for some historians, the treatment of the harkis exemplifies how France has basically failed to deal with aspects of its past, saying "The state put them in military camps or in isolated camps in forests, cut off from the rest of the French population. This isolation is comparable to the treatment of indigenous people in the colonies." (Gehmlich, 2006). Hamlaoui Mekachera, junior minister for veterans' affairs who is also of Algerian origin and in fact actually fought for the French army during the Algerian war, praised the law, saying it was "a historic moment for people of all origins who have been repatriated." He went on to say, "The current debate must not allow us to forget the real range of measures (the law) contains." (Geimlich, 2006). Who Wants a Repeal of the law and who Does not, and why More than 1000 historians, writers and intellectuals have signed a petition demanding the repeal of this law. "In retaining only the positive aspects of colonialism this law imposes an official lie on massacres that at times went as far as genocide on the slave trade, and on the racism that France has inherited," says the petition, which has also been signed by one of France's best-loved humorists, Guy Bedos, and a leading film director, Patrice Chereau. The principal objection to the law is

What's Complicating Bernanke's Balancing Act by James Cooper Essay

What's Complicating Bernanke's Balancing Act by James Cooper - Essay Example The Federal Reserve was created to guide the nation towards a stable financial system. It's goal is to maintain stable prices, low inflation, and moderate long term-interest rates. Keeping inflation low though monetary policies is one of the ways to ensure a stable economic preformance. The article also talks about how proposed protectionist policies threaten to increases overall inflation. The author believes that present interest rates are too low, and that globalization makes it harder to determine the right interest rates to promote economic growth. Usually, high demand for goods and services would result in increased interest rates by the Federal Reserve to slow down demand and thus curb inflation. This is appropriate if the demand exceeds economic ability to produce those goods and services. However, a global market changes the dynamics of traditional economic systems, giving the Federal Reserve less control over the economy. Indeed, prices of goods and services are determined by overseas market factors aside from those in the United States. The issue of globalization, which is the expansion and growth of international economic activity, has always been a fiercely debated issue. It is a complex process operating in various levels which can lead to increased competition, government borrowing, trade, etc. These factors have variable effects depending on the government's policies and management. The author's conjecture is that globalization resulting into an "interdependency" among economies will help prevent an economic crisis in the United States from happening (although the dollar could weaken due to the economic success of other foreign currencies). I agree. Nations are turning into one global network where standards of living depend on the value added to that network. It brings about gains thorough consumption and exchange between the nations involved. A significant amount of economic growth seen in the late 20th century is owed much to globalization and the free trade. One of it's drawbacks however, is the imbalance in world trade. Article 2: "U.S.: The Double Whammy That Could Ignite Inflation" by James Cooper, March 20, 2006 in BusinessWeek Online The article talks about how the decrease in productivity together with the rise of labor costs could potentially hike up inflation at economically debilitating levels. Last year, productivity increased-a good performance, considering the economy was weak during the year's end. However, the growth rate has progressively declined over the past three years, which is not a good sign. The correlation between labor costs and productivity was also explored in the article: the increase in labor compensations has slowed productivity, and the trend is likely to continue. Typically, productivity helps offset labor costs. However, if productivity is low, companies will be forced to raise prices to compensate and keep profits healthy. As such, this will affect Federal Reserve decisions regarding interest rates. The Federal Reserve can help curb inflation levels by imposing higher interest rates to lessen demand and stabilize economic performance. Economists concur that an economy will be better off if inflation is low, thus economic policies should aspire for stability in prices. A fast growth without inflation could be possible with higher productivity, and the author postulates that this is could be done through companies' utilization of technological innovations. For the most part, I agree with this conjecture. The issue about technological and economic changes is not new. Innovations in the Industrial Revolution caused a huge leap

Need a teaching paper for a diabetic patient (portion control) Assignment

Need a teaching paper for a diabetic patient (portion control) - Assignment Example Patient education Diabetes type  II is a metabolic disorder that is associated with high blood glucose and lack of insulin or simply insulin deficiency in blood (Ackley & Ladwig, 2013). When it comes to management of diabetes type II, control of blood sugar is usually the central subject matter. After all, when ones level of blood sugar is kept within the target range, it can help him or her to live a healthy life. The main aim of patient education was for M.E. to improve her knowledge, skills and self-assurance, enabling her to take enhanced control of her own condition as well as incorporate effective self-management aspects into her daily lives (Ackley & Ladwig, 2013). This is premised on the fact that high-quality patient education can actually have a profound impact on health outcomes of patients and can drastically enhance quality of life. In particular, this patient education aimed at teaching M.E. on how to keep a balance diet and portion control in away that will help her manage her condition-Diabetes type  II. In this context, my main goal was to promote the health of M.E. and to avert any further outcome associated with the disease. The information that M.E. will receive, will be of great importance in terms of enabling her to make changes in her feeding lifestyle and this will help in controlling her blood glucose within normal or target range. All other aspects associated with her conditions such as, if she had ever confided her condition into anyone, and if anyone has ever told her anything regarding her condition, were revisited before I brought about the topics to be discussed. She openly stated that she had shared a lot with her primary care doctor. In this case nonetheless, I assured her that my aim was simply to provide information that would her manage her condition well in terms of how to keep a balance diet and portion control. My primary teaching material in this case was a handout entailing illustrations and information about diabete s type II disease and the choice was based on the fact that illustrations serves to reinforce the point that has been taught and are easier to understand even for people who are not familiar with it. The first topic to be introduced was what diabetes was and its likely effects on ones body. I began by explaining to her that Diabetes Type II was a condition resulting from the failure of insulin to control to a minimum the level of glucose in blood (Ignatavicius & Workman, 2013). As a result, there is no absorption of glucose to be used by the body cells for the production of energy. Under the causes, I explained to her that the disease is caused by a mixture of genetic and lifestyle factors. Whilst some factors such as diet are under personal control or management, others, such as female gender, genetics and increasing age, are not. This, therefore, led into a discussion on the dangers associated with the disease: the danger of cardiovascular disease, including stroke and ischemic he art disease which are similarly life threatening. The next topic we discussed was what factors lead to Diabetes Type II, such as her Hispanic ethnicity, her old age, lack of physical activity, poor diet and family history of diabetes. Having informed her about all these, I then discussed with her about the things she could do in her daily life to manage her level of blood glucose. Specifically, I advised her to avoid diets that have high content of sugar. However, I emphasized that in as much as healthy eating is a foundation of any diabetes

Affluenza Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Affluenza - Essay Example Therefore, this is an apparent indication that the problem of affluenza has a rich history in human life. Greed is a major constituent of Affluenza, since individuals persistently possess a materialistic mindset. However, the exaggerated possessions initiate negative ramifications in society. it amounts to health hazards, economic stagnation, environmental pollution, amongst others. Evidently, this is an ancient social problem that requires remedies. Johnson is an anthropologist who conducted a study in a hunting and gathering society called Machiguenga. According to his findings, the society enjoys more merit than the modernized society. The people of this society practice subsistence, and they are content with the resources that are at their disposal. They are never in a hurry, and they are much cohesive in their inter-personal relationships. Different philosophers such as Aristotle, Jesus Christ, Jerome Segal, amongst others assert that more possessions bring more struggles than h aving enough. Affluenza definitely brings much decadence to the society. Affluenza is a persistent social problem that has four major solutions.... Excessive consumption is a key mannerism that manifests amongst the affluent individuals. Academic adjustments in schools would offer profound recommendations against affluenza. Consequently, children will achieve awareness about the ramifications of affluenza. The knowledge system would also inculcate a change in parent’s lifestyle. Parents would not have to invest immensely on snacks and soft drinks. Therefore, the parents’ culture of overconsumption would take a diminishing trend. Evidently, the curriculum adjustments towards environmental science in schools would be an outstanding remedy for affluenza. The government has a major role in curbing affluenza. It would do this through its strict regulations to protect the natural environment. Social vices such as pollution, resource exploitation, and recycle issues would be effectively tackled. Affluenza entails a materialistic mindset in an existent population. People are pre-occupied by the persistent ambition to attai n more possessions. Factory owners therefore focus on maximizing production and profits. They do not have a major consideration towards the environment. In an affluent society, factories pollute the environment due to their materialistic mindset. Manufacturing industries also exploit natural resources. They do not implement recycling techniques. Such business entities have no regard towards the ramification of depletion. In this scenario, massive consumption and material possession are the applied principles. The government ought to implement clear-cut policies that oversee the preservation of all resources. Violation of the policies ought to attract legal consequences on the offenders. Legal limitations of advertisement ought to be

Bank of America Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Bank of America - Assignment Example MBNA is the largest player in the credit industry worldwide. By acquiring MBNA, the Board of Bank of America would be able o acquire a majority market share of 20.2% in the $1.2 trillion credit card business. For this reason, the Board of America has taken a strategic decision to buy out MBNA for $35 billion. The advantages of the acquisition include access to a large share of the worldwide credit card markets (Kumar, 2012, p.37). The Bank of America could make use of its large network of 5800 branches in the US for providing financial services. The customer portfolio of MBNA also comprises of low risk borrowers which would be advantageous for the bank of America. The buyout also involves certain disadvantages. The buy out decision of MBNA has come at a time when the credit card market is saturated and there is a turn-around in the consumer behavior in the credit cards industry. Thus the growth prospects of venturing into the credit card business are likely to be decided with time. . .. Considering the slow down of the credit card business, the shareholders would still expect the bank to leverage on the resources of MBNA. The shareholders view this buyout to have been taken place at a higher value than the market price. The acquisition of MBNA by the Bank of America would tend to kill the competition in the market and the Bank of America would increase its market share. The vigorous strategies of American Express by persuading banks to advise customers to use their credit cards could also be challenged and the Bank of America is likely to move to the higher position in terms of market capitalization (WetFeet, 2008, p.46). An increase in the gamut of financial services would make the shareholders believe that the company is looking to expand its operations and the volume of revenues and earnings would also tend to increase. A high earning for the Bank of America after the buyout and exploring the potentials of the credit card business would mean that the earnings per share for the shareholders would increase. The dividend payout of the bank is also likely to increase and it is viewed positively by the shareholders. The shareholders also foresee a rise in valuation of the shares due to the strategic buyout of MBNA by the Bank of America (Kunitzky, 2010, p.78). Perspective of the shareholders of MBNA The shareholders of MBNA were supposed to be skeptical about the future of business of credit cards of MBNA. This is due to the facts that the credit market has saturated at this point of time and there is change in the consumer behavior in the credit card industry. Due to huge competition in the credit card market, the consumers expect a term of