The document provides an overview of pre-colonial African history, beginning with early human origins in Africa and the establishment of ancient civilizations like Egypt, Kush, Axum, Ghana, Mali, and Songhai. It discusses the rise and fall of these great West African empires, highlighting their achievements in areas like governance, trade, architecture, and Islamic learning centers. Gold mining and trade played an important economic role and helped fuel the growth of these powerful states before European contact in the 15th century led to their eventual decline.