This unit is one of a series that presents specific moments in history from which students focus on the meanings of landmark events. To explore the African past it is necessary to examine African civilization before colonization and to expose students to the richness that this past reflects. This unit provides students with a taste of the African past, as it explores the ancient kingdom of Ghana, a thriving center of trade in the Western Sudan, boasting advanced technology and a sophisticated social and political organization. The unit covers the first millennium A.D. and could follow the study of ancient civilizations or be integrated with a study on the early Middle Ages and/or the rise of Islam. It forms the foundation for the study of European imperialism in Africa by providing students with an understanding of the internal dynamics within an African kingdom before the intrusion of European imperialism and colonialism. It also informs students about the regional trade that later became a major European attraction. Consequently, there was a prolonged competition between traders of the various European nations to control the African trade leading to the colonization of Africa. The unit gives students an opportunity to appreciate the vast and diverse geographic conditions of Africa, to understand the dynamics of trade within Africa during the first millennium, and to appreciate the technological, organizational, and material advances of the ancient kingdom of Ghana. The unit can be used for exploring the lingering debate whether Sub-Saharan Africa experienced feudalism and monarchical rule as did Europe. Contains five references. (Author/DK)