▁as ▁a ▁group ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁connected ▁with ▁their ▁domestic ation ▁of ▁liv est ock . ▁The ▁Eastern ▁Sud an ic ▁unity ▁must ▁have ▁been ▁consider ably ▁earlier ▁still , ▁perhaps ▁around ▁the ▁ 5 th ▁mill en ni um ▁B CE ▁( while ▁the ▁proposed ▁N ilo - S ah aran ▁unity ▁would ▁date ▁to ▁the ▁Upper ▁Pale ol ith ic ▁about ▁ 1 5 ky a ). ▁The ▁original ▁loc us ▁of ▁the ▁early ▁Nil otic ▁speak ers ▁was ▁pres umably ▁east ▁of ▁the ▁N ile ▁in ▁what ▁is ▁now ▁South ▁Sud an . ▁The ▁Pro to - Nil otes ▁of ▁the ▁ 3 rd ▁mill en ni um ▁B CE ▁were ▁past oral ists , ▁while ▁their ▁neighb ors , ▁the ▁Pro to - Cent ral ▁Sud an ic ▁pe op les , ▁were ▁mostly ▁agricult ural ists . ▁ ▁The ▁Niger - C ongo ▁ph yl um ▁is ▁thought ▁to ▁have ▁emer ged ▁around ▁ 6 , 0 0 0 ▁years ▁ago ▁in ▁West ▁or ▁Central ▁Africa . ▁Its ▁expansion ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁associated ▁with ▁the ▁expansion ▁of ▁Sah el ▁agricult ure ▁in ▁the ▁African ▁Ne ol ith ic ▁period , ▁following ▁the ▁des ic cation ▁of ▁the ▁Sah ara ▁in ▁c . ▁ 3 9 0 0 ▁B CE . ▁The ▁B ant u ▁expansion ▁has ▁spread ▁the ▁B ant u ▁languages ▁to ▁Central , ▁Eastern ▁and ▁Southern ▁Africa , ▁partly ▁replacing ▁the ▁ind igen ous ▁populations ▁of ▁these ▁regions . ▁Begin ning ▁about ▁ 3 , 0