Great Kingdoms of West Africa

An eye-opening exploration of some of the extraordinary civilisations of medieval West Africa

West Africa had a long and complex history prior to European colonisation – and gave rise to a series of powerful states and dynasties each with a distinct culture and story. Among them were the Kingdoms of Ghana, Mali and Songhai, the Mossi Kingdoms of modern Burkina Faso, the Empire of Benin and others.

Curator and cultural historian Gus Casely-Hayford, who presented two acclaimed series of Lost Kingdoms of Africa for BBC4, is joined by Fiona Savage, of the Sainsbury Research Unit, a specialist in the Asante Kingdom, and anthropologist Nigel Barley, author of The Art of Benin, as well as many widely-read accounts of his fieldwork in Africa and Indonesia.