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I just finished African kingdoms by basil Davidson. Published 1969.

It's a great art book and good for timelines too. But surely we've learnt a bit more in the last forty years?

I'm primarily looking for art history but general early history or architecture appreciated too. Any reccomendations?

Well, there's a massive amount of literature on Egyptian history/art/architecture, but I am going to ignore those for the moment because it sounds like you are more interested in sub-Saharan Africa.

The author you mentioned has another great book on the subject called "The Lost Cities of Africa." I believe he has several other books on African history out there, though I haven't read any of them.

"Kongo: Power and Majesty" is a great piece on the history of art from the Congo region.

"African Art" by Frank Willett is often used as a textbook for most university courses related to African Art History. It's a bit general (and IIRC has more of a focus on the relatively well-documented West African cultures) but a great introductory point to the subject.

"Royal Arts of Africa: The Majesty of Form" is focused more specifically on the art associated with royal courts in West and Central Africa; it is a really fascinating and intelligent look at the intersection of art, archaeology, and anthropology.

"Major Themes in Ethiopian Painting" covers medieval Ethiopian/East African art, though from a quick Google search it isn't easy to find. You may have to check a university library or look into inter-library loans to get a copy.

"Being Maasai" is a great examination of Maasai culture and history, though IIRC not a lot of focus on art specifically except with respect to archaeological finds.

In addition, any good book on Islamic art (or general history) will cover a lot on North Africa, which is often considered separate from Africa proper for these purposes. I also believe there are several books about Great Zimbabwe's art and architecture, though I don't remember any of them off the top of my head (and, in general, I believe there is a relative dearth of information about ancient southern African civilizations).

Others can probably recommend several more general history books. I also know a lot more that are focused specifically on the 19th and 20th centuries (both histories and art histories), but based on your OP those don't seem to be your primary interest.

holy fuck. perfect answer Ziggy, thankyou!