An archaeological study of farming communities on the Northern Shores of Lake Victoria Nyanza, Uganda

The goal of this study was to explore the archaeology of farming communities on the northern shores of Lake Victoria Nyanza, Uganda. The study explored the process of transition to farming, and the settlement history and subsistence structures of communities of both the Late Stone Age (LSA) and the Early Iron Age (EIA). Further, the study explored the LSA–EIA relationship and compared the archaeology of the northern shores of Lake Victoria Nyanza with the archaeology, as it is widely understood, of the lake’s eastern and western shores. The study used survey, excavation, flotation, and dating methods to collect data from the Busia and Namayingo districts. It also performed ceramics, lithics, bone point, stable isotope, osteoarchaeological, faunal, and botanical analyses. The study identified 24 new archaeological sites of which five were excavated—three were Kansyore LSA sites, one was an LSA–EIA site, and one was a Late Iron Age (LIA) site. Well-preserved LSA and EIA burials dating from 6634 to 6479 BC and from AD 339 to 437 were excavated systematically for the very first time in Uganda. Further, the study identified a new Kansyore phase, namely, the Middle Kansyore phase, dating from 3465 to 3495 BC. This study was the first of its kind to confirm the presence of ceramic hunter-gatherers and EIA farmers in the study area and to indicate that there was no evidence of contact between the Kansyore LSA communities and the later EIA communities. Further, the study offered insights into the lifeways of each group and clearly indicated that the transition to farming resulted from a combination of factors such as population movements and the environment. The outcomes of this study contributed directly to the big debate on the regional and global understanding of the transition to farming. The study concluded that the northern shores of Lake Victoria Nyanza had been occupied by Pre-ceramic hunter-gatherers, Kansyore LSA and EIA to LIA farming communities who had had no contact with their predecessors. Although information on this area has the potential to provide answers to many future questions about the lifeways of past communities, this potential may be thwarted by the activities of harvesters who operate in the area and depend on the harvesting of sand and shells to make a living. This study recommends that the government should emphasise the importance of cultural impact assessments to be conducted by companies involved in mining or any other development that is likely to hinder the survival of cultural sites. This study had to make use of purposive survey approaches because of limited funds and time, as a result of which most of the sites in the area under study remained unknown archaeologically; therefore, future researchers should conduct surveys in this area. Finally, sensitisation of the locals about the importance of preserving their culture and heritage should be part and parcel of every future project to avoid site destruction by local people.Thesis (PhD (Archaeology))--University of Pretoria, 2021.Anthropology and ArchaeologyPhD (Archaeology)Unrestricte

Kansyore fisher-hunter-gatherers abandoned the Northeastern Lake Victoria Shoreline during an Arid Period in the Middle Holocene : a reconsideration of dates from Western Kenya with new radiometric and faunal evidence from the Namundiri a shell midden, Eastern Uganda

Kansyore pottery-using groups of the northeastern Lake Victoria Basin represent one of only a few examples of ‘complex’ hunter-gatherers in Africa. Archaeologists link evidence of specialized fishing, a seasonal land-use cycle between lake and riverine sites, and intensive investment in ceramic production to behavioral complexity after 9 thousand years ago (ka). However, a gap in the Kansyore radiocarbon record of the region between ~7 and 4.4 cal ka limits explanations of when and why social and economic changes occurred. This study provides the first evidence of lakeshore occupation during this temporal break at the only well-studied Kansyore site in eastern Uganda, Namundiri A. Within the context of other sites in nearby western Kenya, radiometric and faunal data from the site indicate a move from the lake to a greater reliance on riverine habitats with middle Holocene aridity ~5–4 cal ka and the arrival of food producers to the region after ~3 cal ka.Wenner-Gren Foundation, Washington University in St. Louis, the University of Pretoria and the National Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences in South Africa.https://brill.com/jaa/Anthropology and Archaeolog

The transition from the stone age to Iron age in East Africa: excavations at Nkuba rock shelter, Bussi Island, Lake Victoria, Uganda

The Stone to Iron Age transition in northern Lake Victoria Nyanza is typically associated with the spread of Bantu speaking people from Cameroon to east Africa in the first millennium BC. Here we present the results of excavations carried out in 2006 at Nkuba rock shelter on Bussi Island on Lake Victoria, Uganda, where both Late Stone Age lithic materials dating ca. 1411-1275 BC, and Early Iron Age (EIA) Urewe ceramics dating between ca. 1303-1123 BC and ca. 771-887 AD were found. The Urewe horizon is characterised by both ceramics and lithics, and represents an intermediate stage between the lithic dominated Later Stone Age (LSA) phase of occupation, and the Later Iron Age (LIA) phase that has ceramics but no lithics. Analysis of seeds and bones revealed no evidence of domestic agriculture or pastoralism at the site. The site was dated for the very first time and elements of continuity between occupation phases suggest gradual process of transition rather than abrupt transition / population replacement

Classroom streaming and academic achievement among students in secondary schools in Uganda: evidence from Apac and Jinja districts

Several studies have been conducted to ascertain the impact of ability grouping on academic attainment over the past 20 years, but little effort has been made. The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of classroom streaming on academic achievement and self-esteem of secondary school students and the relationship between streaming and academic achievement among students in secondary schools in Apac and Jinja districts. The researcher involved four secondary schools from the Apac and Jinja districts. The 240 subjects, both boys and girls, with 30 subjects drawn from each of the selected streams, were drawn from the four schools. The sample chosen was large enough to be representative of the whole student population in the two districts. The analysis of the relationship between streaming and academic achievement revealed that the p-calculated value was found to be 0.0001 with df = 238. Since 0.0001 is far less than 0.05, which is the P-critical value at which the researcher tested the hypothesis, the conclusion is that streaming has an effect on academic achievement. The study confirmed that ability grouping has a strong bearing on the academic achievement of secondary school students

Coastal Subsistence, Maritime Trade, and the Colonization of Small Offshore Islands in Eastern African Prehistory

Recent archaeological research has firmly established eastern Africa's offshore islands as important localities for understanding the region's pre-Swahili maritime adaptations and early Indian Ocean trade connections. While the importance of the sea and small offshore islands to the development of urbanized and mercantile Swahili societies has long been recognized, the formative stages of island colonization—and in particular the processes by which migrating Iron Age groups essentially became “maritime”—are still relatively poorly understood. Here we present the results of recent archaeological fieldwork in the Mafia Archipelago, which aims to understand these early adaptations and situate them within a longer-term trajectory of island settlement and pre-Swahili cultural developments. We focus on the results of zooarchaeological, archaeobotanical, and material culture studies relating to early subsistence and trade on this island to explore the changing significance of marine resources to the local economy. We also discuss the implications of these maritime adaptations for the development of local and long-distance Indian Ocean trade networks

Coastal subsistence, maritime trade, and the colonization of small offshore islands in eastern African prehistory

Recent archaeological research has firmly established eastern Africa’s offshore islands as important localities for understanding the region’s pre-Swahili maritime adaptations and early Indian Ocean trade connections. While the importance of the sea and small offshore islands to the development of urbanized and mercantile Swahili societies has long been recognized, the formative stages of island colonization—and in particular the processes by which migrating Iron Age groups essentially became “maritime”—are still relatively poorly understood. Here we present the results of recent archaeological fieldwork in the Mafia Archipelago, which aims to understand these early adaptations and situate them within a longer-term trajectory of island settlement and pre-Swahili cultural developments. We focus on the results of zooarchaeological, archaeobotanical, and material culture studies relating to early subsistence and trade on this island to explore the changing significance of marine resources to the local economy. We also discuss the implications of these maritime adaptations for the development of local and long-distance Indian Ocean trade networks.The Sealinks Project is funded through a grant toNicole Boivin from the European Research Council (StarterGrant 206148) under the “Ideas” specific Programme of the 7th Framework Programme (FP7). Additional funding includes: postdoctoral fellowships from the British Academy (2010–2013) and the University of Queensland (2015–2017) to Alison Crowther; a Fondation Fyssen Postdoctoral Grant toEr´endira Quintana Morales; and a postdoctoral fellowship from the Government of the Balearic Islands (Conselleria d’Educaci´o) and the European Social Fund to Llorenc¸ Picornell-Gelabert. Fieldwork was carried out under COSTECH Research Permit no. 2012-303-ER-2011-85 and the Division of Antiquities (Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, Tanzania) excavation license no. EA.402/605/01 issued to Alison Crowther, and with the support and permission of theRegionalAdministrative Secretary (Dar es Salaam andCoast/Pwani), the District Administrative Secretary (Mafia), and the Village Executive Officer (Mtendaji wa Kijiji, Juani).http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/uica20hb2016Anthropology and Archaeolog

Coastal subsistence, maritime trade, and the colonization of small offshore islands in eastern African prehistory

Recent archaeological research has firmly established eastern Africa’s offshore islands as important localities for understanding the region’s pre-Swahili maritime adaptations and early Indian Ocean trade connections. While the importance of the sea and small offshore islands to the development of urbanized and mercantile Swahili societies has long been recognized, the formative stages of island colonization—and in particular the processes by which migrating Iron Age groups essentially became “maritime”—are still relatively poorly understood. Here we present the results of recent archaeological fieldwork in the Mafia Archipelago, which aims to understand these early adaptations and situate them within a longer-term trajectory of island settlement and pre-Swahili cultural developments. We focus on the results of zooarchaeological, archaeobotanical, and material culture studies relating to early subsistence and trade on this island to explore the changing significance of marine resources to the local economy. We also discuss the implications of these maritime adaptations for the development of local and long-distance Indian Ocean trade networks.The Sealinks Project is funded through a grant toNicole Boivin from the European Research Council (StarterGrant 206148) under the “Ideas” specific Programme of the 7th Framework Programme (FP7). Additional funding includes: postdoctoral fellowships from the British Academy (2010–2013) and the University of Queensland (2015–2017) to Alison Crowther; a Fondation Fyssen Postdoctoral Grant toEr´endira Quintana Morales; and a postdoctoral fellowship from the Government of the Balearic Islands (Conselleria d’Educaci´o) and the European Social Fund to Llorenc¸ Picornell-Gelabert. Fieldwork was carried out under COSTECH Research Permit no. 2012-303-ER-2011-85 and the Division of Antiquities (Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, Tanzania) excavation license no. EA.402/605/01 issued to Alison Crowther, and with the support and permission of theRegionalAdministrative Secretary (Dar es Salaam andCoast/Pwani), the District Administrative Secretary (Mafia), and the Village Executive Officer (Mtendaji wa Kijiji, Juani).http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/uica20hb2016Anthropology and Archaeolog

Dynamic human-animal-environment relationships at two Later Stone Age sites in Holocene southeastern Uganda

Later Stone Age (LSA) hunter-gatherers in the northeastern Lake Victoria Basin are key for understanding human-environment relationships, societal diversity and inter-group interactions in Holocene East Africa. Scholars have linked increasingly seasonal fishing and land-use strategies, the adoption of domesticated animals and a reliance on ‘Kansyore’ style pottery to delayed-return economic systems at sites in western Kenya and eastern Uganda c. 9–2000 years ago (kya). However, sparse datasets and interpretive models that divide the sequence into broad phases obscure localised LSA variability during this period. To explore finer-grained economic and environmental patterns among Kansyore tradition sites, this paper examines radiometric, archaeozoological and carbon isotopic data from two neighbouring LSA shell middens in southeastern Uganda, namely Namaboni B and Namundiri A. Radiocarbon dates provide a diachronic framework for tracking fishing, hunting and vegetation patterns between 9.3 and 5.6 kya. Fish bones indicate a transition to diversified fishing strategies at the lake after c. 7 kya. This shift corresponds with evidence for increased hunting pressure and reduced C4 grass cover along the shoreline. Together, these findings highlight local differences in the ways LSA foragers related seasonally to lakeshore animals and habitats during a period otherwise characterised by environmental stability in the region.Les chasseurs-cueilleurs de l’Âge de Pierre tardif (LSA) du nord-est du bassin du lac Victoria sont essentiels à la compréhension des relations hommeenvironnement, de la diversité sociétale et des interactions intergroupes en Afrique de l’Est pendant l’Holocène. Les chercheurs ont lié des stratégies de pêche et d’utilisation des terres de plus en plus saisonnières, l’adoption d’animaux domestiques et le recours à la poterie de style ‘Kansyore’ aux systèmes économiques à retour différé sur des sites de l’ouest du Kenya et de l’est de l’Ouganda il y a environ 9000 à 2000 ans (kya). Cependant, des ensembles de données épars et des modèles d’interprétation qui divisent la séquence en grandes phases masquent la variabilité localisée de la LSA au cours de cette période. Afin d’explorer des schémas économiques et environnementaux plus précis parmi les sites de tradition Kansyore, cet article examine les données radiométriques, archéozoologiques et isotopiques du carbone de deux amas coquilliers voisins de la LSA dans le sud-est de l’Ouganda: Namaboni B et Namundiri A. Les datations au radiocarbone fournissent un cadre diachronique pour le suivi des schémas de pêche, de chasse et de végétation il y a 9.3 à 5.6 kya. Les arêtes de poisson indiquent une transition vers des stratégies de pêche diversifiées au lac après environ 7000 ans. Ce changement concorde avec les preuves d'une pression de chasse accrue et d’une réduction de la couverture herbacée C4 le long du littoral. Ensemble, ces résultats mettent en évidence des différences locales dans la façon dont les chasseurs-cueilleurs de la LSA interagissaient saisonnièrement avec les animaux et les habitats du rivage durant une période par ailleurs caractérisée par une stabilité environnementale dans la région

Kansyore fisher-hunter-gatherers abandoned the northeastern Lake Victoria shoreline during an arid period in the middle Holocene: A reconsideration of dates from western Kenya with new radiometric and faunal evidence from the Namundiri A shell midden, eastern Uganda

Kansyore pottery-using groups of the northeastern Lake Victoria Basin represent one of only a few examples of ‘complex’ hunter-gatherers in Africa. Archaeologists link evidence of specialized fishing, a seasonal land-use cycle between lake and riverine sites, and intensive investment in ceramic production to behavioral complexity after 9000 years ago (ka). However, a gap in the Kansyore radiocarbon record of the region between ~7 and 4.4 cal ka limits explanations of when and why social and economic changes occurred. This study provides the first evidence of lakeshore occupation during this temporal break at the only well-studied Kansyore site in eastern Uganda, Namundiri A. Within the context of other sites in nearby western Kenya, radiometric and faunal data from the site indicate a move from the lake to a greater reliance on riverine habitats with middle Holocene aridity ~5-4 cal ka and the arrival of food producers to the region after ~3 cal ka