Lalibela		term for a family organization in which kinship ties are traced through the mother
Benin		extra or excess
outpost		means "where the king dwells"
Mali		title for the king of Mali
polytheistic		the biggest desert in Africa
slash-and-burn agriculture		distant military stations
mansa		The ancient kingdom of Nubia was also known as
commodity		he made a pilgrimmage to Mecca
Kush		a new language fused with many Arabic words
Askia Muhammed		grassy plains
Bantu		south of savanna
patrilineal		group claiming a common ancestor
oba		the root language of West Africa
lineage		process by which fertile or semidesert land becomes desert
griot		belief in many Gods and Goddesses
matrilineal		title for the king of Benin
savanna		professional storyteller in early West africa
Swahili		emerged as the capital of Songhai
Kumbi Saleh		family unit consisting of parents and children
Gao		term for a family organization in which kinship ties are traced through the father
Sahara		the capital of Ghana
surplus		valuable product
nuclear family		Christian monks built a number of remarkable churches under the reign of this king
desertification		farming method in which forest and brush are cut down and burned to create planting fields