Format: Paper presentations with discussion
Convenors:
Mariusz Drzewiecki, Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology, University of Warsaw, Poland
This wide ranging general session covers multiple perspectives on the archaeology of Africa.
Papers:
New Studies on Human Evolution in Central Africa
Angelo Vintaloro, Collaborating Member of the International Union of Prehistoric and Protohistoric Sciences (U.I.S.P.P.); Member of the Commission on the Metal Age in Europe and the Mediterranean
Kambanj Thikalandand, University of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
Only a few years ago, the Democratic Republic of the Congo achieved a peaceful stabilisation, allowing scholars to be able to visit it, and highlighting much data, unpublished and explosive, which direct the scientific world to review its dynamics, referring to the origin and evolution of humans. Today we can say that the ‘Cradle of Life’ expands towards the west, touching the entire Congo River, up to the Atlantic Ocean. The Neolithic arrives with the first great migration of the Bantu, in the 2nd millennium BC, which also brought megalithism. The Neolithic was stable for a long period, as the subsequent phase of the Iron Age, in which the Bantu were specialists, was significantly delayed due to the natural barrier of the Congolese forests. Many types of artefacts are also comparable to the Toumbien Culture, which developed from the Gulf of Guinea to the Congo, passing through Gabon. The Congolese provinces where the finds were found are Kinshasa, Katanga, Nord-Kivu, Kasai, Bas-Congo, and Equator. The discoveries are fortuitous, but confirm the presence and evolution of humans in this part of Central Africa. The ‘Civilisations Préhistoriques à caractèrè non forestière’ is divided into Le Proto-Stillbayen and Le Stillbayen. The Magosien probably were not native but arrived via emigration from other areas. Rock art is present in Bas-Congo, in the Province of Matadi.
Reconstructing the Social Rites of the Aksumite Stelae, Ethiopia (50-400 AD)
Dilpreet Singh Basanti, Northwestern University, Illinois, USA; SWCA Environmental Consultants
This paper presents new bioarchaeological research reconstructing social rites of the Aksumite funerary stelae (50-400 AD). Aksum was the capital of a major Ethiopian/Eritrean polity well known for its trade connections across the ‘Silk Roads’ Indian Ocean routes. Aksum’s most notable remains are its elaborate funerary stelae carved as houses and standing up to 32 m tall. The stelae are often seen as mysterious monuments that emblemise a lack of knowledge about Aksum, but the primary stelae cemetery is one of the best-excavated features in African archaeology. I argue the confusion comes from differing cultural valuations: intangible heritage and traditions of social action are often highly valued in northern Ethiopian cultures but are more difficult to uncover archaeologically. To better investigate the intangible heritage of the Aksumite stelae, this paper presents research reconstructing the sequence of burial and post-mortem rites through bioarchaeology, micro-CT histology, and neutron activation analysis of stelae grave assemblages. Taken together, the data position the expanding Aksumite death culture of this time as an invention of tradition that demonstrates both the conscious construction of the ‘local’ in an increasingly globalising sphere, and how this ‘local’ was rooted in strengthening access to departed loved ones.
History and Current Challenges of the Practice of Archaeology in Ivory Coast
Gninin Aïcha Toure, Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Côte d’Ivoire
The past of Côte d’Ivoire is little known in terms of archaeology. However, studies carried out to date show that the Ivorian territory is full of a diversity of archaeological sites and remains, covering all periods of human history. The objective is therefore to show the evolution of the practice of archaeology in Ivory Coast. The study was based on written documentation and our field experiences. It appears that, although it has had more than 100 years of practice in Ivory Coast, archaeology as a discipline is still in under construction. The first archaeological research was carried out by amateurs, then by professionals and European researchers, known as cooperating researchers. It was in the 1980s that Ivorians became concretely involved in archaeological research, and ongoing North-South partnerships are making it possible to intensify and diversify for a better understanding of the country’s history. Beginning with classical archaeology which has long characterised the research approach, we note the advent and practice of preventive archaeology, then underwater archaeology in the 2010s. Finally, Ivorian researchers are trying to integrate the digital archaeology in their field of investigation to face the current issues and challenges of archaeological research.
The People of Soba, the Capital of the Medieval Kingdom of Alwa
Joanna A. Ciesielska, Faculty of Oriental Studies/Institute for Advanced Studies, Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, Poland
Soba, the capital of the medieval kingdom of Alwa (modern Sudan), presents a compelling case study for understanding population dynamics in historical north-eastern Africa. Situated at the confluence of the White and Blue Niles, this urban centre emerged in the 6th century AD, flourishing as a cosmopolitan power until its decline in the 16th century. Archaeological excavations, including those by the University of Warsaw, have revealed extensive urban structures covering no less than 240 ha. A multidisciplinary investigation of funerary remains re-evaluates long-standing hypotheses on the city’s foundation and cultural identity of its inhabitants, revealing a unique amalgamation of influences from the Nile valley and the African Sahel region. Despite its historical significance, our knowledge of Soba’s population has been limited, prompting this investigation into the origins, subsistence strategies, and mobility of its inhabitants. The findings suggest Soba’s early population was homogenous but grew diverse and mobile over time, adapting to environmental changes and integrating with northern counterparts into the Byzantine cultural sphere with Christianity as its official religion. This research challenges the simplified view of Nubia as one cohesive organism and highlights Alwa’s distinct cultural and geographical identity, demonstrating the dynamic nature of the kingdom’s medieval communities.
Soba: Investigating the Urban Transformation of a Medieval African Capital
Mariusz Drzewiecki, Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology, University of Warsaw, Poland
Soba, now part of the Khartoum agglomeration in central Sudan, was the capital of the Kingdom of Alwa from the 5th/6th century CE. The city emerged as a large and open urban settlement. Research conducted before the current conflict in Sudan began suggests that Soba initially developed as a polycentric city. Around the 9th century, it underwent significant reorganisation into a centralised settlement before being abandoned between the 12th and 13th centuries. Until the 1980s, the ruins remained sparsely inhabited. Covering approximately 275 hectares, Soba is one of the largest archaeological sites in Sudan and is now an active war zone.
Between 2019 and 2022, a team led by the author conducted archaeological, geophysical, and ethnological research to investigate the medieval city’s spatial organisation. Fieldwork uncovered well-preserved remains from both phases of the city’s history, along with numerous small finds and organic materials. The residents of modern Soba recount numerous stories about the city and its remains, particularly regarding the final destruction of the medieval metropolis, which, according to local oral traditions, was caused by a woman named Ajoba.