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7 Amazing Historical Sites in Africa | Britannica

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Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. </div> <div class="label mt-20 mb-10">Select Citation Style</div> <select class="js-citation-format-select form-select"> <option selected value="mla">MLA</option> <option value="apa">APA</option> <option value="chicago">Chicago Manual of Style</option> </select> <div class="citation font-serif border rounded p-15 mt-20" data-authors="Amy McKenna" data-title="7 Amazing Historical Sites in Africa" data-published-date="9 Sep. 2016" data-url="https://www.britannica.com/list/7-amazing-historical-sites-in-africa" > <div class="citation-text"></div> </div> <button class="js-copy-citation-button mt-20 btn btn-xs btn-outline-blue border shadow-sm pr-10" > <em class="material-icons md-icon ml-n10 my-n5 mr-5" data-icon="file_copy"></em> <span class="js-citation-status-text">Copy Citation</span> </button> </div> </div> </div> <div> <button class="js-share-modal-button js-modal gtm-topic-tool btn btn-xs btn-outline-blue border shadow-sm pr-10" data-modal=".md-share-modal"> <em class="material-icons md-icon ml-n10 my-n5 mr-5" data-icon="share"></em> Share </button> <div class="md-share-modal size-lg d-none qa-share-modal"> <div class="md-modal-body"> <div class="h2 font-serif d-flex align-items-center pb-15 border-bottom"> <em class="material-icons text-blue mr-10" data-icon="share"></em> Share </div> <div class="label my-20">Share to social media</div> <div class="md-social-toolbar-circle d-flex align-items-start inverted" data-value="share" title="7 Amazing Historical Sites in Africa" data-url="https://www.britannica.com/list/7-amazing-historical-sites-in-africa" > <a class="social-icon facebook justify-content-center d-flex align-items-center align-self-center" data-provider="facebook" href="https://www.facebook.com/BRITANNICA/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span>Facebook</span></a> <a class="social-icon x justify-content-center d-flex align-items-center align-self-center" data-provider="x" href="https://x.com/britannica" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span>X</span></a> </div> <div class="label pt-20 mt-20 mb-5 border-top">URL</div> <a class="font-serif text-truncate d-inline-block" href="https://www.britannica.com/list/7-amazing-historical-sites-in-africa">https://www.britannica.com/list/7-amazing-historical-sites-in-africa</a> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="md-byline module-spacing font-14"> <div class="font-serif font-12"> <span class="written-by text-gray-700"> Written by </span> <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor" href="/editor/Amy-McKenna/6443" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">Amy McKenna</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 clamp-description text-black">Amy McKenna is a senior editor, primarily focused on geography and history matters pertaining to sub-Saharan Africa. She joined Encyclopaedia Britannica in 2004. She was previously employed by Standard...</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor text-decoration-underline"> Amy McKenna</span></div> <div class="font-serif font-12 text-gray-700"> <span class="qa-fact-checked-by">Fact-checked by</span> <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 font-12" href="/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 text-black">Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link font-12 "> The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</span></div></div> </div> <article class="topic-content content"><div class="topic-paragraph font-serif md-list-intro pt-15 pb-20"><!--[BEFORE-INTRODUCTION]--><!--[BP]--><p class="topic-paragraph">The African continent has long been inhabited and has some amazing historical sites to show for it. Check out these impressive examples of architecture, culture, and evolution.</p><!--[P]--><!--[MOD]--><span class="MOD"></span><!--[AFTER-INTRODUCTION]--></div><ul class="list-unstyled md-mendel-list"><li><h2>Olduvai Gorge </h2><div><figure class="md-assembly md-feature-assembly print-false" data-type="1" data-descid="1"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/08/126108-050-08DDFE98/Africa-Olduvai-Gorge-fossil-hominins-Tanzania-record.jpg" target="_blank" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center " data-href="*213258"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/08/126108-050-08DDFE98/Africa-Olduvai-Gorge-fossil-hominins-Tanzania-record.jpg?w=1000" alt="Olduvai Gorge or Olduwai Gorge, Tanzania, Africa (eastern Serengeti Plain) Where fossil remains of more than 60 hominins provides the most continuous known record of human evolution. Mary Leakey and Louis Leakey made discoveries here. Archaeology" data-width="1600" data-height="1066" loading="eager"><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class=""><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif "><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" target="_blank" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/08/126108-050-08DDFE98/Africa-Olduvai-Gorge-fossil-hominins-Tanzania-record.jpg" data-href="*213258">Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania</a></span></div><cite class="credit d-block mt-5">Photos.com/Jupiterimages</cite></figcaption></figure><!--[BP]--><p class="topic-paragraph">This paleoanthropological site is located in the eastern Serengeti Plain, within the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Ngorongoro-Conservation-Area" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Ngorongoro Conservation Area</a> in northern <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Tanzania" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Tanzania</a>. <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Olduvai-Gorge" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Olduvai Gorge</a> is remarkable for its deposits, which cover a time span from about 2.1 million to 15,000 years ago and have yielded the fossil remains of more than 60 <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/hominin" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">hominins</a> (human ancestors). It has provided the most continuous known record of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/human-evolution" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">human evolution</a> during the past two million years. It has also produced the longest known archaeological record of the development of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/stone-tool-industry" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">stone tool industries</a>. The famous archaeologist and paleoanthropologist <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mary-Douglas-Leakey" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Mary Leakey</a> discovered a skull fragment there in 1959 that belonged to an early hominin.</p><!--[P]--><!--[MOD]--><span class="MOD"></span></div><!--[LIST-ITEM-1]--><span class="LIST-ITEM-1"></span></li><li><h2>Thebes</h2><div><figure class="md-assembly md-feature-assembly print-false" data-type="1" data-descid="1"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/91/99591-050-944A8AE5/Egyptian-obelisk-statuary-Temple-of-Luxor-Egypt.jpg" target="_blank" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center " data-href="*213255"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/91/99591-050-944A8AE5/Egyptian-obelisk-statuary-Temple-of-Luxor-Egypt.jpg?w=1000" alt="Ancient Egyptian obelisk and statuary, Luxor, Egypt." data-width="967" data-height="1468" loading="eager"><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class=""><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif "><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" target="_blank" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/91/99591-050-944A8AE5/Egyptian-obelisk-statuary-Temple-of-Luxor-Egypt.jpg" data-href="*213255">Temple of Luxor, Thebes, Egypt</a></span></div><cite class="credit d-block mt-5">© Goodshoot/Jupiterimages</cite></figcaption></figure><!--[BP]--><p class="topic-paragraph"><a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Thebes-ancient-Egypt" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Thebes</a> is one of the famed cities of antiquity. Its remains, some of which date back to the 11th dynasty (2081–1939 BCE) of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/ancient-Egypt" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">ancient Egypt</a>, lie on both sides of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Nile-River" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Nile River</a> in what is now the modern-day country of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Egypt" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Egypt</a>. The Thebes area also includes the archaeologically rich sites of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Luxor" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Luxor</a>, the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Valley-of-the-Kings" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Valley of the Kings</a>, the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Valley-of-the-Queens" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Valley of the Queens</a>, and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Karnak" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Karnak</a>. The remains found at these sites—including impressive temples, palaces, and royal tombs—provide a view of the architecture, religious customs, and daily life of ancient Egypt.</p><!--[P]--><!--[MOD]--><span class="MOD"></span></div><!--[LIST-ITEM-2]--><span class="LIST-ITEM-2"></span></li><li><h2>Leptis Magna</h2><div><figure class="md-assembly md-feature-assembly print-false" data-type="1" data-descid="1"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/05/191605-050-0D9DA9DA/Libia-Leptis-Magna-Teatro.jpg" target="_blank" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center " data-href="*213273"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/05/191605-050-0D9DA9DA/Libia-Leptis-Magna-Teatro.jpg?w=1000" alt="Libia. Leptis Magna. Teatro" data-width="1600" data-height="1064" loading="eager"><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class=""><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif "><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" target="_blank" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/05/191605-050-0D9DA9DA/Libia-Leptis-Magna-Teatro.jpg" data-href="*213273">Leptis Magna, Libya: Roman amphitheatre</a></span></div><cite class="credit d-block mt-5">© Massimo Cutrupi/Fotolia</cite></figcaption></figure><!--[BP]--><p class="topic-paragraph"><a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Leptis-Magna" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Leptis Magna</a> was the largest city of the ancient region of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Tripolitania" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Tripolitania</a>. It is located on the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Mediterranean-Sea" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Mediterranean</a> coast of what is now northwestern <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Libya" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Libya</a> and contains some of the world’s finest remains of Roman architecture. It was founded as early as the 7th century BCE by <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Phoenicia" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Phoenicians</a> and was later settled by <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Carthage-ancient-city-Tunisia" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Carthaginians</a>, probably at the end of the 6th century BCE. The city became an important Mediterranean and trans-Saharan trade center. Leptis Magna changed hands and eventually became one of the best-known cities of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Roman-Empire" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Roman Empire</a>. It flourished under the emperor <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Septimius-Severus" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Septimius Severus</a> (193–211 CE) before later seeing some decline owing to regional conflict. It fell into ruin after it was conquered by Arabs in 642 CE and eventually became buried in sand, only to be uncovered in the early 20th century.</p><!--[P]--><!--[MOD]--><span class="MOD"></span></div><!--[LIST-ITEM-3]--><span class="LIST-ITEM-3"></span></li><li><h2>Meroe</h2><div><!--[BP]--><p class="topic-paragraph">The ruins of the ancient Kushitic city of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Meroe" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Meroe</a> lie on the east bank of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Nile-River" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Nile River</a> in what is now <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Sudan" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Sudan</a>. The city was established in the 1st millennium BCE. It became the southern administrative center for the kingdom of Kush about 750 BCE and later became the capital. It began to decline after being invaded by Aksumite armies in the 4th century CE. The ruins were discovered in the 19th century, and excavations in the early 20th century revealed parts of the town. The pyramids, palaces, and temples of Meroe are stunning examples of the architecture and culture of the kingdom of Kush.</p><!--[P]--><!--[MOD]--><span class="MOD"></span></div><!--[LIST-ITEM-4]--><span class="LIST-ITEM-4"></span></li><li><h2>Great Zimbabwe</h2><div><figure class="md-assembly md-feature-assembly print-false" data-type="1" data-descid="1"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/52/5352-050-2730FBE8/view-ruins-Great-Zimbabwe.jpg" target="_blank" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center " data-href="*213275"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/52/5352-050-2730FBE8/view-ruins-Great-Zimbabwe.jpg?w=1000" alt="Aerial view of the ruins of Great Zimbabwe." data-width="1391" data-height="903" loading="eager"><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class=""><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif "><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" target="_blank" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/52/5352-050-2730FBE8/view-ruins-Great-Zimbabwe.jpg" data-href="*213275">Great Zimbabwe: ruins</a></span></div><cite class="credit d-block mt-5">ZEFA</cite></figcaption></figure><!--[BP]--><p class="topic-paragraph">During the 11th to 15th century, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Great-Zimbabwe" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Great Zimbabwe</a> was the heart of a thriving trading empire that was based on cattle husbandry, agriculture, and the gold trade on the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Indian-Ocean" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Indian Ocean</a> coast. The extensive stone ruins of this African Iron Age city are located in the southeastern portion of the modern-day country of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Zimbabwe" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Zimbabwe</a>. It is thought that the central ruins and surrounding valley supported a <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Shona" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Shona</a> population of 10,000 to 20,000 people. The site is known for its stonework and other evidence of an advanced culture. Because of that, it was incorrectly attributed to various ancient civilizations such as the Phoenicians, the Greeks, or the Egyptians. Those claims were refuted when the English archaeologist and anthropologist <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/David-Randall-MacIver" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">David Randall-MacIver</a> concluded in 1905 that the ruins were medieval and of exclusively African origin. His conclusions were later confirmed by another English archaeologist, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Gertrude-Caton-Thompson" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Gertrude Caton-Thompson</a>, in 1929.</p><!--[P]--><!--[MOD]--><span class="MOD"></span></div><!--[LIST-ITEM-5]--><span class="LIST-ITEM-5"></span></li><li><h2>Rock-hewn churches of Lalībela</h2><div><figure class="md-assembly md-feature-assembly print-false" data-type="1" data-descid="1"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/64/160264-050-EF1FBC0A/House-of-Giorgis-Ethiopia-Lalibela.jpg" target="_blank" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center " data-href="*213256"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/64/160264-050-EF1FBC0A/House-of-Giorgis-Ethiopia-Lalibela.jpg?w=1000" alt="Lalibela. House of Giyorgis (Church of Saint George) rock church in Lalibela, Ethiopia. One of eleven churches arranged in two main groups, connected by subterranean passageways. A UNESCO World Heritage site. (Bete Giyorgis, House of Giorgis)" data-width="1600" data-height="1118" loading="eager"><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class=""><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif "><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" target="_blank" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/64/160264-050-EF1FBC0A/House-of-Giorgis-Ethiopia-Lalibela.jpg" data-href="*213256">House of Giorgis church, Lalībela, Ethiopia</a></span></div><cite class="credit d-block mt-5">© evenfh/stock.adobe.com</cite></figcaption></figure><!--[BP]--><p class="topic-paragraph"><a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Lalibela-Ethiopia" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Lalībela</a>, located in north-central <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Ethiopia" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Ethiopia</a>, is famous for its rock-hewn churches, which date back to the late 12th and early 13th centuries. The 11 churches, important in Ethiopian Christian tradition, were built during the reign of the Emperor Lalībela. The churches are arranged in two main groups, connected by subterranean passageways. Notable among the 11 churches are House of Medhane Alem (“Saviour of the World”), the largest church; House of Golgotha, which contains Lalībela’s tomb; and House of Mariam, which is noted for its frescoes. Centuries after they were built, the churches still draw thousands of pilgrims around important holy days. </p><!--[P]--><!--[MOD]--><span class="MOD"></span></div><!--[LIST-ITEM-6]--><span class="LIST-ITEM-6"></span></li><li><h2>Timbuktu</h2><div><figure class="md-assembly md-feature-assembly print-false" data-type="1" data-descid="1"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/06/191606-050-01007993/Courtyard-mosque-Djingareiber-Timbuktu.jpg" target="_blank" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center " data-href="*213274"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/06/191606-050-01007993/Courtyard-mosque-Djingareiber-Timbuktu.jpg?w=1000" alt="Courtyard of the Djingareiber mosque , Timbuktu" data-width="1200" data-height="1600" loading="eager"><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class=""><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif "><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" target="_blank" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/06/191606-050-01007993/Courtyard-mosque-Djingareiber-Timbuktu.jpg" data-href="*213274">Timbuktu, Mali: Djinguereber mosque</a></span></div><cite class="credit d-block mt-5">KaTeznik</cite></figcaption></figure><!--[BP]--><p class="topic-paragraph">Located on the southern edge of the Sahara in what is now <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Mali" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Mali</a>, the city of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Timbuktu-Mali" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Timbuktu</a> has historical significance for being a trading post on the trans-Saharan caravan route and as a center of Islamic culture in the 15th through the 17th century. The city was founded by Tuaregs around 1100 CE, later became part of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Mali-historical-empire-Africa" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Mali Empire</a>, and then changed hands several times after that. Three of western Africa’s oldest mosques—Djinguereber (Djingareyber), Sankore, and Sidi Yahia—were built there during the 14th and early 15th centuries; Djinguereber was commissioned by the famed Mali emperor <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Musa-I-of-Mali" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Mūsā I</a>. The city was a center of Islamic learning and housed a large collection of historical African and Arabic manuscripts, many of which were smuggled out of Timbuktu beginning in 2012, after Islamic militants who had seized control of the city began damaging or destroying many objects of great historical and cultural value.</p><!--[P]--><!--[MOD]--><span class="MOD"></span></div><!--[LIST-ITEM-7]--><span class="LIST-ITEM-7"></span></li></ul><span class="AM-END-OF-ARTICLE am-inline"></span></article> </div> </div> </div> <aside class="cm-rightrail d-none d-md-block ad-rail"></aside> </div> </div> </div> <div class="grid gx-0"> <div class="col"> <div class="md-loading hidden display-4 font-weight-normal"></div> <div class="text-center my-20 mb-100"> <button class="md-infinite-load-next btn btn-blue" data-value="next-page">Load More</button> </div> </div> <div class="col-md-da-320 hidden-xs"> </div> </div></div> </div> </main> <div id="md-footer"></div> <noscript><iframe src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5W6NC8" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript> <script type="text/javascript" id="_informizely_script_tag"> var IzWidget = IzWidget || {}; (function (d) { var scriptElement = d.createElement('script'); scriptElement.type = 'text/javascript'; scriptElement.async = true; scriptElement.src = "https://insitez.blob.core.windows.net/site/f780f33e-a610-4ac2-af81-3eb184037547.js"; var node = d.getElementById('_informizely_script_tag'); node.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, node); } )(document); </script> <!-- Ortto ebmwprod capture code --> <script> window.ap3c = window.ap3c || {}; var ap3c = window.ap3c; ap3c.cmd = ap3c.cmd || []; ap3c.cmd.push(function() { ap3c.init('ZO4siT4cLwnykPnzZWJtd3Byb2Q', 'https://engage.email.britannica.com/'); ap3c.track({v: 0}); }); ap3c.activity = function(act) { ap3c.act = (ap3c.act || []); ap3c.act.push(act); }; var s, t; s = document.createElement('script'); s.type = 'text/javascript'; s.src = "https://engage.email.britannica.com/app.js"; t = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; t.parentNode.insertBefore(s, t); </script> <script class="marketing-page-info" type="application/json"> {"pageType":"List","templateName":null,"pageNumber":1,"pagesTotal":11,"pageId":5892,"pageLength":null,"initialLoad":true,"lastPageOfScroll":false} </script> <script class="marketing-content-info" type="application/json"> [] </script> <script src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/js/libs/jquery-3.5.0.min.js?v=3.130.14"></script> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="Init Mendel Code Splitting"> (function() { $.ajax({ dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: 'https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/dist/list-page.js?v=3.130.14' }); })(); </script> <script class="analytics-metadata" type="application/json"> {"leg":"A","adLeg":"A","userType":"ANONYMOUS","pageType":"List","pageSubtype":null,"articleTemplateType":null,"gisted":false,"pageNumber":1,"hasSummarizeButton":false,"hasAskButton":false} </script> <script type="text/javascript"> EBStat={accountId:-1,hostnameOverride:'webstats.eb.com',domain:'www.britannica.com', json:''}; </script> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { $.ajax( { dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: '//www.britannica.com/webstats/mendelstats.js?v=1' } ) .done( function() { try {writeStat(null,EBStat);} catch(err){} } ); })(); </script> <div id="bc-fixed-dialogue"></div> </body> </html>

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