History Unwritten

What was Mali like in the 13th century? Why do we know so little about it? Who was Abu Bakr II? (Hint: Not real, but you might want to hear about the very real Mansa Muhammad instead)

Tales of trans-oceanic voyages and slave kings color our understanding of this era. Mali started the century as a disunited patchwork of kingdoms, but ended as a highly centralized monarchy. It's our job this episode to find out how that happened.

The Epic of Sunjata in full. The story of Mali's founder, as told by the Jeli Djanka Tassey Conde.

From the search for a special wife to the trials and tribulations of being the world's most hated stepson, Sunjata rose above the challenges he faced to unify the Malinke under one king.

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West Africa after the fall of Ghana. Introducing the Malinke, Mema, Soso and the jeliw bards of Mali.

The beginning of human civilization in the Sahara and West Africa. From rock paintings in isolated mountains to the riches of Ancient Ghana, concluding in the dramatic destruction of the region's first great civilization.

Introducing History Unwritten, the format of the show and how I will be structuring the podcast.