Mission de prospection en archéologie préhistorique (LSA) dans la région des lacs d'Éthiopie (Koka, Ziway, Langano, Abijata)

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Titel: Mission de prospection en archéologie préhistorique (LSA) dans la région des lacs d'Éthiopie (Koka, Ziway, Langano, Abijata)

Beteiligte: Bon, François [VerfasserIn]; Dessie, Asamerew [VerfasserIn]; Mensan, Romain [VerfasserIn]; Fauvelle-Aymar, François-Xavier [VerfasserIn]

Sprache: Französisch

DOI: 10.3406/ethio.2006.1484

ISSN: 0066-2127

Identifikator:

Schlagwörter: Ethiopia ; Waso Hill ; Late Stone Age ; Archaeology ; archéologie ; Ethiopie ; article

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Beschreibung: Le Late Stone Age (LSA) d'Afrique orientale est une vaste période débutant entre 40.000 et 20.000 BP, caractérisée par une première phase marquée par la mise en place des dernière sociétés de chasseurs-cueilleurs nomades, puis par l'introduction d'une économie de production entre 7.000 et 5.000 BP. La documentation de cette tranche chronologique revêt une importance majeure, liée aux problématiques de la transition entre les sociétés du Middle Stone Age (MSA) et du LSA et de la néolithisation de l'Afrique orientale. La mission de prospection dont rend compte le présent article est destinée à localiser des séquences attribuables au LSA. La région de reconnaissance est celle des « lacs Galla » située à environ 150km au sud de la capitale. Cinq sites ont été examinés, guidés par les données archéologiques (notamment pour Waso Hill et Macho Hill) et par les données géologiques abondantes pour ce secteur. Différentes périodes sont documentées : MSA, LSA, occupation médiévale et/ ou moderne, mais également l'Acheuléen pour Bole. Les premières analyses du matériel indiquent que le mobilier de Waso pourrait appartenir à une phase postérieure à 10.000 BP, si l'on se base sur la présence de nombreux microlithes géométriques (lunates), et antérieure à 2.000 ou 3.000 BP, du fait de la domination des productions laminaires et lamellaires.

Knowledge concerning the prehistory of Ethiopia exemplifies an unusual paradox: the Early and Middle Stone Age are better documented than the more recent periods of the Late Stone Age. The Late Stone Age of East Africa is a vast chronological period starting from about 40,000-20,000 BC. The beginning of this period is characterized by appearance of the last groups of hunter-gatherers, while it is followed by the arrival of an economy of food-production between 7,000 and 5,000 BC. The documentation of this chronological period is of major importance, linked to the problematic of the transition of societies from the Middle Stone Age to the Late Stone Age and to the neolithisation of East Africa and the Horn. The archeological survey mission presented here was destined to identify sequences attributable to the Late Stone Age. The survey area chosen is the region of the "Galla Lakes" (Ziwai, Langano, Abijata, and Shala) located 150km South of Addis Ababa. The choice of this survey area was motivated by the role that a lacustrine environment could have played in the economic changes that are recognized during the Late Stone Age. Guided by archeological data previously available from Waso Hill and Macho Hill, as well as by the abundant geological data on this region, five sites were examined. Different chronological periods were documented: the Middle Stone Age, the Late Stone Age, medieval/ or modern settlements (tumulus and aggregated stone structures known as "stone circles") but also equally Acheulean for the site of Bole. The site of Waso Hill drew our particular attention on account of the abundance of artifacts found and by the potential of information still available on the ground. A tumulus was identified at the summit of the hill as well as "stone circles" on the western slope. A rich lithic industry is observable on the surface of the area. A description of the material was done on the spot for the artifacts associated with the stone circles as well as for those from the hill. On the summit of the hill, the lithic pieces were contained in a pedosoil embedded in a layer of indured volcanoclastic pumice. It is this layer which was excavated at the end of the 1970s by G. Humphreys, who guided our work in this region. The site of Macho Hill, also excavated by Humphreys, is in the same geomorphological area, and presents the same type of archeological remains as Waso Hill. Three modes of occupation were observable. The first, in the south-west below the hill, is remarkable for its large concentration of ceramics. The second, on the top of the hill, has a pedosoil identical to that of Waso sealed by a layer of pumice. The important erosion of the latter has created a residual soil leaving a layer of obsidian artifacts on the surface; it entailed two types of industry. One is attributable to the MSA and is characterized by the presence of pointes foliacées (leaf-like points) and Levallois points and fragments. The other is attributable to the LSA. And lastly, on the eastern slope of the hill, a more recent occupation marked by a tumulus and stone circles of the same type as these of Waso was identified. The first study of the artefacts indicate that the industry of Waso belongs to a period later than 10,000 BC, on the basis of the presence of numerous geometric microliths (lunates). On account of the predominance of the production of blades and bladelets, it belongs to a period earlier than 2,000 or 3,000 BC. The site of Macho presents a LSA industry that is different as much by its typological character (absence of lunates) as on ground (style of blade production). A date of 10,330 BC was given by Humphreys, indicating that this industry could have belonged to an early phase of the LSA. In the light of the data gathered on the ground as well as of the literature, there is a need for a deeper study of the area and of the industries in the region. Towards the end of establishing a more precise chronology for the LSA around the shores of Lake Ziwai, the site of Waso offers the best window of conservation for a layer containing a LSA industry.

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