Remarks on Early Iron Age Burial Sites from Southern Cameroon

Abstract

For the first time, graves dating to the Early Iron Age between 2000 BP and 1700 BP have been discovered in the southern Cameroonian rain forest. The features in question, from the sites of Akonétye and Campo, were almost identically furnished with iron objects and ceramic pots. Other features with more or less corresponding finds have been discovered at Mouanko-Lobethal, Mouanko-Epolo, Kribi-Mpoengu, and Yaoundé-Obobogo. The spatial distribution of these sites and their near synchronous dating suggest that a particular burial rite was practiced over a considerable area of southern Cameroon during the Early Iron Age. RésuméDes inhumations datées du premier âge du fer (entre 2000 BP et 1700 BP) ont pour la première fois été découvertes dans la forêt tropicale au sud du Cameroun. Ces structures, trouvées dans les sites d'Akonétye et de Campo, sont très proches et sont composées d'objets en fer et en céramique. D'autres structures, qui présentent certaines similarités, ont été trouvées à Mouanko-Lobethal, Mouanko-Epolo, Kribi-Mpoengu et Yaoundé-Obobogo. La répartition géographique de ces sites ainsi que leur cadre chronologique suggèrent l'existence d'un rite funéraire original pratiqué au cours du premier âge du fer et ce, sur un vaste secteur du Sud Cameroun.

Early Iron Age Burials from Equatorial Guinea: The Sites of Corisco Island

“…The elongated shape and size of the graves located in Cameroon (Meister 2010) Thus far, however, we have not documented inverted pots: this could be a ceremonial practice that was more geographically restricted (Meister 2010 : fig. 9).…”

“…Deposit 2a (FIGURE 21) yielded two perfectly preserved anklets made of 35 iron rings each; an unidentified metal object, perhaps a hoe; a double iron ring which might have been used as a hairgrip (as the one collected in Burial Site 1); a small pentagonal iron artefact, probably a currency element; two double-diamond flat iron objects and a bundle of iron artefacts which are similar to those identified as specialpurpose currency in Cameroon (Meister and Eggert 2008;Meister 2010).…”

“…Large infrastructural works are starting to change this panorama. Archaeological research related to the Chad-Cameroon pipeline (Lavachery et al 2005) and other construction works, such as roads, have brought to light a wealth of extraordinary findings in southern Cameroon, which compel us to review some of our tenets about the peoples of the equatorial rainforest during the Iron Age (Olisly 2006;Meister 2007Meister , 2010; Meister and Eggert 2008). One of the most relevant findings is a series of tombs Ramón Perramón (1968) was another missionary with an interest in archaeology.…”

“…Akonétye and Mpoengu: there are pits with complete pots alone and proper graves that delivered the majority of iron artefacts(Gouem Gouem and Lavachery 2006;Meister and Eggert 2008;Meister 2010). Pits themselves are another example of what looks like a much extended tradition in Cameroon(Lavachery et al 2005;Eggert et al 2006), Equatorial Guinea (Martín del Molino 1965 and Gabon(Jézégou 1991).…”

West Central African Peoples: Survey of Radiocarbon Dates over the Past 5000 Years

“…This area is not neglected and has been the subject of archaeological surveys and excavations during the last decade (Oslisly 2006;Eggert et al 2006;Meister and Eggert 2008;Meister 2010…”