Rethinking Africa's contribution to global cultural history: lessons from a comparative historical analysis of mankala board-games and geomantic divination

Abstract

On June 28, 1996, a conference was held at the African Studies Centre, Leiden, on controversies originating from Martin Bernal's study 'Black Athena: the Afro-Asiatic roots of classical civilization' (1987, 1991). Papers were presented by Wim van Binsbergen, Martin Bernal, Jan Best, Arno Egberts, and Josine H. Blok. The present publication contains edited versions of these papers, as well as responses by Martin Bernal.