Kahlheber, Stefanie, Eggert, Manfred K. H., Seidensticker, Dirk ORCID: 0000-0002-8155-7702 and Wotzka, Hans-Peter (2014). Pearl Millet and Other Plant Remains from the Early Iron Age Site of Boso-Njafo (Inner Congo Basin, Democratic Republic of the Congo). Afr. Archaeol. Rev., 31 (3). S. 479 - 513. NEW YORK: SPRINGER. ISSN 1572-9842

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Abstract

This article is devoted to an analysis of plant remains from the Early Iron Age site of Boso-Njafo on the Lulonga River (Democratic Republic of the Congo). They were excavated in the context of archaeological research in 1985 but-due to unfavorable circumstances-could not be analyzed at that time. The site belongs to the Imbonga group, the earliest ceramic style group to date in the Inner Congo Basin. The archaeological context of the botanical remains is dated to the first millennium cal BC. The most salient fact concerning the plant remains is the evidence of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum). A correlation between cultivation of this crop, that is primarily adapted to semi-arid environments, with the climatic changes taking place in the second and first millennium cal BC is discussed. However, regional palaeoecological proxy data for the Inner Congo Basin are still missing. Further plant species present in Boso-Njafo include trees with edible fruits like Musanga cecropioides, Raphia, and Elaeis guineensis, Afromomum sp., and some grasses and herbs exploitable as leafy vegetables. They indicate a forest environment including swamps and secondary GuineoCongolian forests as well as disturbed ruderal vegetation.

Item Type: Journal Article
Creators:
CreatorsEmailORCIDORCID Put Code
Kahlheber, StefanieUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Eggert, Manfred K. H.UNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Seidensticker, DirkUNSPECIFIEDorcid.org/0000-0002-8155-7702UNSPECIFIED
Wotzka, Hans-PeterUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
URN: urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-429655
DOI: 10.1007/s10437-014-9168-1
Journal or Publication Title: Afr. Archaeol. Rev.
Volume: 31
Number: 3
Page Range: S. 479 - 513
Date: 2014
Publisher: SPRINGER
Place of Publication: NEW YORK
ISSN: 1572-9842
Language: English
Faculty: Unspecified
Divisions: Unspecified
Subjects: no entry
Uncontrolled Keywords:
KeywordsLanguage
AFRICAN RAIN-FOREST; EQUATORIAL AFRICA; VEGETATION CHANGE; CLIMATIC CHANGES; POLLEN EVIDENCE; LAKE SINNDA; BP; CAMEROONMultiple languages
Anthropology; ArchaeologyMultiple languages
URI: http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/42965

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