Contribution to the Archaeozoology of Central Africa

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Language: English with one appendix in French

The animal remains from two archaeological sites in Zaire have been studied. Matupi Cave, lying at 70 km east of Lake Mobutu, contains artifacts from the Late Stone Age and Iron Age, whereas Kiantapo which is situated at the western scarp of the Biano plateau in Shaba, belongs to the Recent Iron Age. The recovered faunal material derives mainly from mammals and has been evaluated from a taphonomic, palaeoecological and palaeoeconomical point of view. In other words, an attempt was made to establish the taphonomic agencies responsible for the accumulation of the remains, to reconstruct the former environment and to evaluate how prehistoric man exploited the animals living in this environment. As faunal studies of central African sites are rare it was necessary to carry out a comparative osteomorphological and osteometric study of recent mammals. Data in the literature on this subject are rare and the richness of the African fauna also rendered the work difficult. To fill this hiatus the present publication is illustrated with numerous line drawings, wherever necessary complemented by comments on morphological differences.

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