Congo to Kalahari: data and hypotheses about the political economy of the western stream of the Early Iron Age

Denbow, James

doi:10.1007/bf01116874

Cited by 120 publications

(47 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…At the same time, new research on the sub-region's Iron Age resulted in additional elements (de Maret 1990a;de Maret and Stainier 1999;Denbow 1990Denbow , 2012Denbow , 2013Dupré and Pinçon 1997;Guttierez 2008;Kanimba Misago 1991;Lanfranchi 1991;Lanfranchi and Pinçon 1988;Pinçon 1991;Da Silva Domingos 2009, 2012). Finally, the rich archaeological Iron Age collections of the Royal Museum for Central Africa in Tervuren have been exploited within the framework of several MA dissertations pertaining to the Lower Congo region (Clist 1982;de Maret 1972;Rochette 1989;Vandenhoute 1973).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

African-European Contacts in the Kongo Kingdom (Sixteenth-Eighteenth Centuries): New Archaeological Insights from Ngongo Mbata (Lower Congo, DRC)

Clist

Cranshof

Schryver

et al. 2015

Int J Histor Archaeol

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confidence: 99%

African-European Contacts in the Kongo Kingdom (Sixteenth-Eighteenth Centuries): New Archaeological Insights from Ngongo Mbata (Lower Congo, DRC)

Clist

Cranshof

Schryver

et al. 2015

Int J Histor Archaeol

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“…However, the kingdom remains almost unknown from an archaeological point of view (Clist 1991(Clist , 2012de Maret 2002de Maret , 2005de Maret , 2006. Systematic archaeological research on the origins of the kingdom has never been conducted (Vansina 1963(Vansina , 1994Denbow 1990Denbow , 2012Thornton 2001;de Maret 2005). The archaeological research done in the Lower Congo region so far shows a high density of prehistoric inhabited sites and the presence of sedentary populations with pottery, polished stones, and probably villages around 500 BC ( de Maret 1986).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

First Direct Radiocarbon Dating of Lower Congo Rock Art (Democratic Republic of the Congo)

et al. 2013

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ABSTRACT. Lower Congo rock art is concentrated in a region that stretches from Kinshasa to the Atlantic coast and from northern Angola to southern Congo-Brazzaville. Although Lower Congo rock art was identified as early as the 19th century, it had never been a subject of thorough investigation. Presently inhabited by the Ndibu, one of the Kongo subgroups, the Lovo Massif is situated north of the ancient Kongo Kingdom. With 102 sites (including 16 decorated caves), the massif has the largest concentration of rock art in the entire region. In 2008 and 2010, we were able to collect pigment samples directly on the panels of the newly discovered decorated cave of Tovo. Unlike the Sahara and southern Africa, both extensively prospected, rock art of central Africa is still widely unknown and not dated. Radiocarbon dating of rock art in Africa is a real challenge and only a few direct dates have been obtained thus far. After verifying that the pigment samples were indeed charcoal, we proceeded to 14 C date them using accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). The results indicate dates between cal AD 1480 and 1800, confirming that the occupation of Tovo Cave was contemporaneous with the ancient Kongo Kingdom.

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“…It is defined on the basis of ceramic decoration, of which the shards were first found at Toutswemogala hill in east central Botswana. During its prosperity, the communities had large centres at Toutswemogala, Bosutswe and Shoshong (Denbow, 1982(Denbow, , 1983(Denbow, , 1990Hall, 1987), and other settlements of different sizes in the area (Kiyaga-Mulindwa, 1993;Segobye, 1994). The Toutswe people relied on farming, and also kept cattle.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Dates from these sites indicate that they were occupied contemporaneously with Toutswe sites. Furthermore, evidence from ceramics and other artefacts indicates that the two were involved in some exchange networks, which may have included trade and inter-marriages (Denbow, 1983(Denbow, , 1990Maggs, 1984;Huffman, 1986). Data obtained from these sites have been used for comparison with results from Toutswe.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

In sickness or in health? Assessment of Early Iron Age human skeletons from Toutswe sites, east central Botswana

Mosothwane¹,

Steyn²

2008

Intl J of Osteoarchaeology

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The general health of Early Iron Age (AD 700 to 1300) mixed farmers in east central Botswana has not been studied before. In this study the bones and teeth of 84 individuals from ten Toutswe sites were analysed for osteological manifestations of disease, with the aim of assessing the general health of the Toutswe communities. These individuals were aged between newborn and 75 years old, and include both sexes. Results indicate the presence of diseases commonly found in archaeological populations such as osteoarthritis, spina bifida occulta, cribra orbitalia, porotic hyperostosis and enamel hypoplasias. One possible case of DISH was found. The frequency of lesions was comparable with or even lower than at other similar sites, such as K2 and Mapungubwe and other parts of southern Africa. The samples represent communities with relatively low levels of stress and infections. This seems to support the results of the palaeodemographic analysis, which indicated that the Toutswe people were better off than those of neighbouring K2 and Mapungubwe.

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Congo to Kalahari: data and hypotheses about the political economy of the western stream of the Early Iron Age

Cited by 120 publications

References 10 publications

African-European Contacts in the Kongo Kingdom (Sixteenth-Eighteenth Centuries): New Archaeological Insights from Ngongo Mbata (Lower Congo, DRC)

African-European Contacts in the Kongo Kingdom (Sixteenth-Eighteenth Centuries): New Archaeological Insights from Ngongo Mbata (Lower Congo, DRC)

First Direct Radiocarbon Dating of Lower Congo Rock Art (Democratic Republic of the Congo)

In sickness or in health? Assessment of Early Iron Age human skeletons from Toutswe sites, east central Botswana

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