First archaeological evidence of banana cultivation in central Africa during the third millennium before present |
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| Authors: | Christophe Mbida Mindzie Hughes Doutrelepont Luc Vrydaghs Rony L Swennen Rudy J Swennen Hans Beeckman Edmond de Langhe Pierre de Maret |
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| Institution: | (1) Section of Archaeology, Royal Museum of Central Africa (RMCA), chaussée de Louvain 13, B-3080 Tervuren, Belgium, BE;(2) Laboratory of Wood Biology and Xylarium, Royal Museum of Central Africa (RMCA), chaussée de Louvain 13, B-3080 Tervuren, Belgium, BE;(3) Laboratory of Tropical Crop Improvement and INIBAP Transit Center (International Network for Improvement of Banana and Plantain), Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KUL), Kardinaal Mercierlaan 92, B-3001 Heverlee, Belgium, BE;(4) Laboratory of Physico-chemical Geology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KUL), Celestijnenlaan 200 C, B-3001 Heverlee, Belgium, BE;(5) Dept. of Cultural Anthropology, CP 124, University of Brussels (ULB), av. Jeanne 44, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium, BE |
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| Abstract: | Phytoliths recovered from refuse pits excavated in central Cameroon and dated to ca 2500 B.P. have been positively identified
for the first time in Africa as derived from Musa the cultivated banana, after a comparative study of Musa and Ensete phytoliths. This discovery provides archaeologists with unequivocal proof of early agriculture in central Africa. Furthermore,
the presence of banana in Cameroon much earlier than previously assumed could explain how agriculture spread through the rain
forest. Lastly, as Musa is of Asian origin, this study provides the first concrete evidence of contacts across the Indian Ocean a millennium earlier
than currently accepted.
Received July 12, 1999 / Accepted May 4, 2000 |
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| Keywords: | : Cameroon – Agriculture – Banana – Phytoliths |
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