This paper presents a preliminary report based on a reconnaissance survey so as to create the basis for further archaeological research works. The reconnaissance was conducted along areas in Mipingo ward north of Lind...This paper presents a preliminary report based on a reconnaissance survey so as to create the basis for further archaeological research works. The reconnaissance was conducted along areas in Mipingo ward north of Lindi town in Lindi Rural district, Lindi Region, Southeastern Tanzania. The reconnaissance work’s main objective was to pinpoint Iron Working, Neolithic and stone industrial techno-complexes (for example, Later Stone Age, Middle Stone Age and Sangoan-like traditions). Specifically, the reconnaissance works sought to identify cultural traditions such as Iron Working, Neolithic as well as Stone Age sequences/facies;to document other cultural heritage resources (movable and immovable, fauna or flora) in the areas;and later on, as a long-term goal after a fully-fledged research is done (after several years of works), to undertake community involvement for conservation as well as carry out presentation of the cultural heritage assets in form of a satellite museum/museums to be linked with the University of Dares Salaam Museum under the Department of Archaeology and Heritage. Normal archaeological survey strategies were employed in the area. The spotted materials were collected and GPS locations were noted. The area showed some potential archaeological remains that merit intensive archaeological research works. Such archaeological materials include ruins, tombs, stone tools and two pieces of pottery. In terms of cultural traditions, there is evidence pointing to Stone Age people from early Stone Age represented by Acheulian Industrial techno-complex followed by Middle Stone Age and Later Stone Age people. Furthermore, though two pieces of pottery were recovered, further intensive works may help to justify Iron Working people lived there. Moreover, remains of a house foundation reported to have been a store of slaves implying to the fact that slavery was not only practiced in Bagamoyo, Zanzibar and other places already reported in Tanzania, but also as far as Southeastern Tanzania, in particular, at Mchinga II and Mchinga II village in Lindi region. The tomb at Namihodi hamlet, Mchinga I village and graves close to the house foundation at Mchinga II villages also justify stay of foreign people, possibly Persians and/or Arabs. Presence of remains of Mosques at Mchinga I and Mchinga II implied that Islam was practiced there about three hundred thousand years ago, a pattern firmly established at other places along coastal Tanzania areas like Kaole, Bagamoyo, Kunduchi, Mbweni, Kilwa and many more places. In addition, indigenous people still undertake their rituals in the area as shown at Mchinga II village and Kilangala A village. The reported ruins at Mchinga I, Mchinga II and Kilangala villages need further research so as to get further insights and undertake community conservation as desired by the proponent.展开更多
Eight new Palaeolithic open-air sites were identified and 770 stone artefacts were collected from 2009 to 2011 in the Lantian area of the Bahe River valley, central China. Because the famous Homo erectus fossils were ...Eight new Palaeolithic open-air sites were identified and 770 stone artefacts were collected from 2009 to 2011 in the Lantian area of the Bahe River valley, central China. Because the famous Homo erectus fossils were unearthed at the Gongwangling and Chenjiawo localities, and more than 30 Palaeolithic open-air sites were investigated in the 1960s in this region, the catchment of Bahe River is regarded as one of the most important hominin sites from the late early Pleistocene to the middle Pleistocene. These eight newly discovered open-air sites are located at the second(n = 6), third(n = 1) or higher terraces(n = 1) of the Bahe River. The Diaozhai section on the second terrace was sampled in detail. Two samples were collected for optically stimulated luminescence dating(OSL). The OSL results suggest that a buried lithic artefact layer at the Diaozhai site spans approximately 70–30 ka. The lithic assemblage analysis suggests that the stone artefacts were made of local pebbles/cobbles such as greywacke, quartz, sandstone and igneous rocks. The main percussion techniques that were used were direct hard hammer percussion and bi-polar techniques. The lithic artefacts comprise hammer stones, cores, flakes, retouched tools and flaking debris. Acheulian-type large cutting tools(LCTs) such as hand-axes, picks and cleavers were indentified in the Lantian region as well. This is the first time Acheulian-type LCTs from the late Pleistocene have been identified in this region. This study distinguishes age gaps between Western world and East Asian Acheulian-type tools.展开更多
文摘This paper presents a preliminary report based on a reconnaissance survey so as to create the basis for further archaeological research works. The reconnaissance was conducted along areas in Mipingo ward north of Lindi town in Lindi Rural district, Lindi Region, Southeastern Tanzania. The reconnaissance work’s main objective was to pinpoint Iron Working, Neolithic and stone industrial techno-complexes (for example, Later Stone Age, Middle Stone Age and Sangoan-like traditions). Specifically, the reconnaissance works sought to identify cultural traditions such as Iron Working, Neolithic as well as Stone Age sequences/facies;to document other cultural heritage resources (movable and immovable, fauna or flora) in the areas;and later on, as a long-term goal after a fully-fledged research is done (after several years of works), to undertake community involvement for conservation as well as carry out presentation of the cultural heritage assets in form of a satellite museum/museums to be linked with the University of Dares Salaam Museum under the Department of Archaeology and Heritage. Normal archaeological survey strategies were employed in the area. The spotted materials were collected and GPS locations were noted. The area showed some potential archaeological remains that merit intensive archaeological research works. Such archaeological materials include ruins, tombs, stone tools and two pieces of pottery. In terms of cultural traditions, there is evidence pointing to Stone Age people from early Stone Age represented by Acheulian Industrial techno-complex followed by Middle Stone Age and Later Stone Age people. Furthermore, though two pieces of pottery were recovered, further intensive works may help to justify Iron Working people lived there. Moreover, remains of a house foundation reported to have been a store of slaves implying to the fact that slavery was not only practiced in Bagamoyo, Zanzibar and other places already reported in Tanzania, but also as far as Southeastern Tanzania, in particular, at Mchinga II and Mchinga II village in Lindi region. The tomb at Namihodi hamlet, Mchinga I village and graves close to the house foundation at Mchinga II villages also justify stay of foreign people, possibly Persians and/or Arabs. Presence of remains of Mosques at Mchinga I and Mchinga II implied that Islam was practiced there about three hundred thousand years ago, a pattern firmly established at other places along coastal Tanzania areas like Kaole, Bagamoyo, Kunduchi, Mbweni, Kilwa and many more places. In addition, indigenous people still undertake their rituals in the area as shown at Mchinga II village and Kilangala A village. The reported ruins at Mchinga I, Mchinga II and Kilangala villages need further research so as to get further insights and undertake community conservation as desired by the proponent.
基金supported by the One Hundred Talent Person Project of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(KZCX2-YW-BR-24)the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(XDA05130201 and XDA05120704)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(41072122 and 41202127)
文摘Eight new Palaeolithic open-air sites were identified and 770 stone artefacts were collected from 2009 to 2011 in the Lantian area of the Bahe River valley, central China. Because the famous Homo erectus fossils were unearthed at the Gongwangling and Chenjiawo localities, and more than 30 Palaeolithic open-air sites were investigated in the 1960s in this region, the catchment of Bahe River is regarded as one of the most important hominin sites from the late early Pleistocene to the middle Pleistocene. These eight newly discovered open-air sites are located at the second(n = 6), third(n = 1) or higher terraces(n = 1) of the Bahe River. The Diaozhai section on the second terrace was sampled in detail. Two samples were collected for optically stimulated luminescence dating(OSL). The OSL results suggest that a buried lithic artefact layer at the Diaozhai site spans approximately 70–30 ka. The lithic assemblage analysis suggests that the stone artefacts were made of local pebbles/cobbles such as greywacke, quartz, sandstone and igneous rocks. The main percussion techniques that were used were direct hard hammer percussion and bi-polar techniques. The lithic artefacts comprise hammer stones, cores, flakes, retouched tools and flaking debris. Acheulian-type large cutting tools(LCTs) such as hand-axes, picks and cleavers were indentified in the Lantian region as well. This is the first time Acheulian-type LCTs from the late Pleistocene have been identified in this region. This study distinguishes age gaps between Western world and East Asian Acheulian-type tools.
