The Bantu expansion has recently generated a challenging SAT critical reading question. What is the Bantu expansion and why was the question so difficult?
The first question is easy to answer. As illustrated on our map, the Bantu expansion refers to the gradual dispersal of Bantu-speaking peoples and their languages across much of sub-Saharan Africa. Researchers still debate when and why this expansion took place. According to the farming/language dispersal hypothesis, the Bantu expansion was primarily driven by the adoption of agriculture about 4,000 to 5,000 years ago.
