The magnificent Benin bronzes in the British Museum inspire Casely-Hayford to undertake a quest for their origin. The search takes him to modern-day Nigeria and Mali, where the art of fine metalworking has thrived for generations.
Did the emperors of Ethiopia really descend from the biblical King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba? Casely-Hayford surveys the Judeo-Christian influences in the land's art, language, and architecture, dating back centuries.
Starting in the desert north of Khartoum in modern Sudan, Casely-Hayford journeys to the ancient sites of Kerma, Jebel Barkal, and Meroe to explore a long-lost kingdom that apparently fell victim to climate change.
Shrouded in mystery, the ruins of Great Zimbabwe rise from an unlikely spot in Africa's interior. Casely-Hayford traces an ancient gold-trading route inland from the eastern coast and explores the city that served as its source.
Two consecutive African Berbers Kingdoms once conquered a vast area from northern Spain to deep in the African Sahara. Only to be destroyed by outside forces of the Christian Spain and Arab east.
This takes a look at one of the most famous or infamous dark African kingdoms. It re-examines the rule of King Shaka and its relationships with the British and Boers.