550 Pyramids
some cases, human) sacrifices through the entire
community before being disposed of, the shaving
of all human hair, the burning or scrubbing of
property and places thought to be contaminated,
the exiling of offenders, bathing in special med-
icated water, confession of sins and atonement by
offenders, and communal celebration after purifi-
cation rites.
Kwame AkonorSee alsoRituals
Further Readings
Forde, D. (Ed.). (1954).African Worlds,Studies in the
Cosmological Ideas and Social Values of African
Peoples. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
Ikenga-Metuh, E. (1986). Ritual Dirt and Purification
Rites Among the Igbo.Journal of Religion in Africa,
15 (1), 3–24.PYRAMIDS
Pyramids appear first in Africa as ancient monu-
ments used initially for the burial of the Dead.
Egypt and Sudan have the most pyramids. Egypt
has 96 great pyramids, and Sudan has more than
200 pyramids; the Sudanese pyramids are more
recent than the Egyptian ones. It was Egypt, that
is, Kemet, that defined the pyramid for the world
long before the Nubian kingdoms of Meroe,
Napata, and Kush began the building of pyramidsSacred bathing spring near Elmina in Ghana.Used originally for medicinal and spiritual purposes;however,during the
18th century this spring was used as a bath for captives before they were taken to the slave ships at the coast.
Source: Molefi Kete Asante and Ama Mazama.