<P> In Africa , the Kingdom of Aksum , centred in present - day Ethiopia , established itself by the 1st century CE as a major trading empire , dominating its neighbours in South Arabia and Kush and controlling the Red Sea trade . It minted its own currency and carved enormous monolithic steles such as the Obelisk of Axum to mark their emperors ' graves . </P>
<P> In Africa , the Kingdom of Aksum , centred in present - day Ethiopia , established itself by the 1st century CE as a major trading empire , dominating its neighbours in South Arabia and Kush and controlling the Red Sea trade . It minted its own currency and carved enormous monolithic steles such as the Obelisk of Axum to mark their emperors ' graves . </P>
the prosperous african empire that facilitated early globalization was
the prosperous african empire that facilitated early globalization was
the Kingdom of Aksum
the Kingdom of Aksum