African Technologies and Technofutures

Taking a cue from Afrofuturists, this interdisciplinary course frames Africa as a site of technological innovation. We will learn both about the historical context of major technological advancements in Africa and how literature and art have imagined the relationship between Blackness and technology. Drawing on cutting-edge findings in history, archaeology, and other fields, we will explore the development of major technologies in Africa's past, from metallurgy to urban engineering. We will also study how African societies have adopted new technologies in response to enslavement, environmental change, and colonial rule.