Category: Archaeology

The BantuFirst project in the Kongo Central Province (DRC): archaeological and paleo-environmental research from September to November 2018

Location of the 4 study areas of the September-November 2018 fieldwork in the Kongo Central (formerly Bas-Congo) province of the DRC

In close cooperation with the Institut des Musées Nationaux du Congo (IMNC), archaeological and paleo-environmental fieldwork was carried out from September 20 to November 24, 2018 in the Kongo-Central province of the DRC. The mission was carried out by Prof. Bernard Clist (mission leader, Ghent University), Clément Mambu Nsangathi (IMNC), Isidore Nkanu Nsasa (driver), and Suzanne Bigohe Mugisha (student from Kinshasa University).

The objectives of the mission were: (i) to gather more information from the Neolithic and Early Iron Age archaeological sites excavated in 1951, 1984 and 2015 by M. Bequaert, P. de Maret and B. Clist, respectively; (ii) to investigate possible ancient shell middens along the Atlantic Ocean coast and in the ‘Parc Marin des Mangroves’ along the Congolese banks of the Congo river; (iii) to carry out surveys to locate new sites to be excavated; (iv) to sample a maximum of ancient village pits to identify crops by carrying out flotations; and (v) to extract soil samples from as deep as possible to understand past vegetation changes. All of these objectives aim at a better understanding of the social and economic dynamics of the earliest villages settling the Kongo-Central province between the Atlantic coast and Kinshasa.

During the fieldwork period, we traveled 3,267 km, identified and documented 64 new archaeological sites dating from the Middle Stone Age to the Late Iron Age in the 4 selected study zones (Figure 1), and excavated 10 ancient hunter-gatherer, village and iron working sites. We were oriented to 4 sites by previous research (M. Bequaert, P. de Maret, B. Clist). However, new large-scale surveys around Kinkenge, Muanda and Nduizi (formerly Kongo dia Vanga) enabled us to excavate 6 new settlements. The surveys were strengthened by systematically interviewing farmers we met while walking through the fields and villages, after we showed them samples of broken pottery. These interviews sometimes led to the identification of promising sites, e.g. Muanda 6 on the coast.

Small scale archaeological excavations were carried out at Sakuzi (zone 1), Kindu and Mantsetsi (zone 2), Nduizi, Nguemba 1, Mbanza 2A, and Mbanza 2B (zone 3), and Boma1, Katala, Muanda 6, and Muanda 13 (zone 4). Soil sampling was conducted at the Kindu, Mantsetsi, Mbanza 2, and Muanda 6 sites, and pit sampling at the Kitala, Mbanza 2, Nduizi, Nguemba 1, and Sakuzi sites.

Feature n°6 at the Sakuzi site, completely eroded pit with potsherd concentration at its base.
Soil sampling at the Kindu site for paleo-environmental studies.
Mbanza 2 site, finding both nice mushrooms for supper and intact Early Iron Age Kay Ladio pots to study.
Nguemba 1 site, iron processing feature excavated under the rain.
Excavation in the Nduizi village, mainly Early Iron Age material.

Stone Age: Very interesting data related to the Stone Age was collected at Boma 1. It consists mainly of quartz flakes, blades and cores found at -6.20 meters in a large borrow pit by the Boma-Muanda road. Stone artefacts, probably younger, were found stratified at Kindu and Mantsetsi down to -2 meters. Charcoals collected in situ, Carbon-13 (13C) analysis of soils, and the study of artefacts will give new insights on this epoch.

Neolithic and Ancient Iron Age: Most of the finds relate to this period due to the orientation of the BantuFirst project, roughly between 2,400 and 1,500 BP. Excavations at Kindu, Mantsetsi, Nduizi, and Sakuzi aimed at obtaining new data after prior excavations dating back to 1951 and 1984. Crucially, new pottery styles were identified in several pits at Nduizi and Sakuzi. Their study will certainly expand our preliminary understanding of the first villages to have settled the Kongo-Central Province.Apart from a poorly documented archaeological mission by the IMNC in 1986, we were the first to survey and excavate the area near the coast, west of Matadi, specifically between Boma and Muanda. At Muanda 6, systematic dry sieving yielded fish and small mammal bones associated to shell beads. Preliminary on-site analysis suggests that the Muanda style pottery is the oldest found in the lower level of Katala, at Muanda 6, and near the border to Cabinda at Muanda 8. It is followed by the Katala style of pottery found stratified under the present-day village and above the Muanda style level. We are now waiting for Carbon-14 (14C) dates to understand where the Muanda and Katala styles stand within the pottery cultural sequence of the Kongo-Central province.

Late Iron Age: The analysis of surface-collected pottery in the four surveyed areas will enable us to develop local cultural sequences. Such sequences will be informative in isolating interesting Ancient Iron Age sites to be excavated in 2019.

http://www.clist.eu/Blog/Blog2018/

15th Congress of the PanAfrican Archaeological Association for Prehistory and Related Studies in Rabat, Morocco

The project’s aims and first results have been presented at the 15th Congress of the PanAfrican Archaeological Association for Prehistory and Related Studies in Rabat (Morocco) on September 12, 2018. Bernard Clist discussed “The first villages of Central Africa before 1500 BP” while Dirk Seidensticker presented “New archaeological research on the earliest villages south of the Central-African rainforest”. The two presentations were part of a special session organized by Bernard Clist, Pierre de Maret and Thomas Huffman covering “Early villages and farming through African humid forests, from Central Africa southwards”.

The presentation of Bernard Clist gave an overview of Pre- and Early Iron Age groups in the western parts of Central Africa, especially in Gabon and the coastal areas of the two Congo states. The presentation included a detailed discussion of the known remains of past subsistence strategies. Dirk Seidensticker presented the first results of the project’s 2018 archaeological fieldwork campaign by himself and Katharina Jungnickel, including the first excavation of the site of Mukila since 1952 and the first-ever survey along the road from Kinshasa to Bandundu. Due to the virtually total lack of archaeological research within the Mai-Ndombe, Kwango and Kwilu provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, these new findings will be pivotal for establishing the basis for future research.

New Archaeological Fieldwork in the Kwango, Kwilu and Mai-Ndombe provinces

The first archaeological field mission, carried out by Dirk Seidensticker and Katharina Jungnickel, in close collaboration with Clement Mambu, Jeanine Yogolelo and Roger Kidebua (IMNC) during the summer of 2018, covered the western half of the former Bandundu province (current Kwango, Kwilu and Mai-Ndombe provinces) of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, an area largely unexplored by archaeologists. The aim of this mission was to conduct an initial survey between the Congo, Kwango and Kasai Rivers.

Excavation at the school in Mukila.

To compensate for the lack of any systematic and well-documented research in the area, the fieldwork was preceded by a perusal of the archives at the Royal Museum for Central Africa in Tervuren, which highlighted the rich potential of one specific site: Mukila (Kwango province). Maurice Bequaert excavated this site located some 250 km to the east of Kinshasa on the southern margins of the Bateke plateau in the early 1950s. There, he uncovered both stone tools and ceramics, possibly pointing towards the coexistence of hunter-gatherers and early sedentary communities. As Bequaert’s excavation was only poorly documented (multiple sketches and some photographs) and not published in any detail, we chose Mukila as our first priority target. Thanks to the available photos from the early 1950s and with the help of locals, we relocated two of Bequaert’s trenches. Our first test trench had to determine the quality of finds as well as the visibility and occurrence of features. We subsequently test-cored the site and opened a second 1.5 by 4.5 m large trench on a spot close to Bequaert’s richest excavation where we found promising finds during the coring as well. We excavated it up to 3.6 m, using 75x75x20 cm units. In total 126 units were systematically dry-sieved for small finds. Finds consisted of a rich mixture of pottery and stone tools. At the bottom of the profile we added another 3 m by extracting two additional cores resulting in a 6.6 m deep sequence. We systematically sampled the cores and the profile for paleo-environmental remains.

Recovery of a thin layer of lithic flakes and chips close to Bandundu.
Survey on agricultural fields within the area of Bandundu.

After our excavations at Mukila we conducted a detailed and first-ever survey along the dirt roads between the towns of Mongata, Masia-Mbio and Bandundu, a 300 km long stretch between the Congo and Kwango rivers. We surveyed 62 distinct areas corresponding to roughly 11 hectares in total. Besides surveying areas currently used for agriculture, mainly the cultivation of manioc, we also looked at borrow pits created for the construction of the dirt roads. These borrow pits were of special importance as they allowed us to review existing profiles and thus uncover cultural layers invisible to surface surveying only. Two very large borrow pits in the vicinity of Bandundu town yielded a vast collection of stone tools both on the surface and in the extant profile. A variety of half-finished and elaborately done bifacial points as well as large amounts of flakes and chips were scattered within the pits, sometimes forming small concentrations. At the second pit some potsherds were scattered on the surface as well. We extracted botanical samples for paleo-environmental research from the extant profiles of both pits and retrieved charred remains through flotation. While doing so, we discovered a thin layer of lithic flakes and chips, which might be the remains of one single knapping event.

Finally, we identified several fields rich in pottery finds close to the town of Bandundu. These ceramics represent quite some stylistic and technological diversity, possibly of both local and external origin.