Tools and weapons from iron and copper

Division of labour: gender-based activity: men

Work within the African societies was divided according to gender. The men were herders, hunters and warriors. Even though cattle was important, survival depended on crop cultivation, which was the women’s job.

Metal working

African farmers  were familiar with smelting iron. They removed rock containing  iron containing iron-ore from by digging holes in the ground. The rock was crushed using tools such as stone hammers. It was then  smelted then smelted in a oven. The oven was made from clay.