Iᵉʳ siècle – XIᵉ siècle
Zambia and Malawi, including the Luangwa basin, Lake Malawi, Lake Tanganyika, the upper Zambezi, and the Batoka plateau
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Early Iron Age cultures in Zambia and Malawi comprised regionally varied communities of iron-working food-producers established across the area by the middle of the first millennium AD. Their economies included cereal cultivation and, variably, sheep, goats, and cattle. Archaeological traditions are distinguished primarily through pottery, while evidence from sites such as Kalambo Falls, Nkope Bay, Kapwirimbwe, Kalundu, and Dambwa reveals diverse origins, technologies, and exchange connections.
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Le récit
By the middle of the first millennium AD, iron-working and food production were established across Zambia and Malawi. Communities cultivated cereals and herded livestock, although the balance differed by region: groups between the Luangwa and Lake Malawi kept sheep and goats by about the third or fourth century, while communities between the Luangwa and upper Zambezi later combined cereal farming with some cattle and small stock. Settlement was densest in southern areas with fertile soils and conditions suitable for cattle.
The archaeological record reveals several regional variants rather than a single uniform culture. Pottery, the most common artefact, includes necked pots, bowls, grooved and stamped decoration, bevelled rims, and false-relief chevrons. Kalambo Falls, near the southern end of Lake Tanganyika, preserves occupation from about the fourth to the eleventh century, with pottery, iron slag, and remains of pole-and-mud villages. Other traditions were identified at Kamnama, Phopo, Nkope Bay, Chondwe, Kapwirimbwe, Kalundu, Dambwa, and related sites.
The regional pattern suggests at least two major streams of cultural development. An eastern tradition entered through the corridor between Lakes Tanganyika and Malawi and initially lacked cattle, while a western tradition crossed the Congo-Zambezi watershed from southern Zaire and was associated with cattle. These interpretations remain provisional, because pottery similarities link some groups across regions while also preserving strong local differences.
In northern and central Zambia and in Malawi, Early Iron Age traditions ended around the eleventh century when they were superseded by the Luangwa tradition. In southern Zambia, Kalundu pottery was followed by the distinct Kalomo type, which persisted from approximately the seventh to the eleventh century at sites such as Isamu Pad. These later developments introduced new technological and economic patterns, including stronger emphasis on cattle-keeping and cereal agriculture in some regions.
Iᵉʳ siècle – XIᵉ siècle
Zambia and Malawi, including the Luangwa basin, Lake Malawi, Lake Tanganyika, the upper Zambezi, and the Batoka plateau
Traduction non disponible · Original (anglais) · français indisponible
Early Iron Age cultures in Zambia and Malawi comprised regionally varied communities of iron-working food-producers established across the area by the middle of the first millennium AD. Their economies included cereal cultivation and, variably, sheep, goats, and cattle. Archaeological traditions are distinguished primarily through pottery, while evidence from sites such as Kalambo Falls, Nkope Bay, Kapwirimbwe, Kalundu, and Dambwa reveals diverse origins, technologies, and exchange connections.
Poursuivre l’exploration
Le récit
By the middle of the first millennium AD, iron-working and food production were established across Zambia and Malawi. Communities cultivated cereals and herded livestock, although the balance differed by region: groups between the Luangwa and Lake Malawi kept sheep and goats by about the third or fourth century, while communities between the Luangwa and upper Zambezi later combined cereal farming with some cattle and small stock. Settlement was densest in southern areas with fertile soils and conditions suitable for cattle.
The archaeological record reveals several regional variants rather than a single uniform culture. Pottery, the most common artefact, includes necked pots, bowls, grooved and stamped decoration, bevelled rims, and false-relief chevrons. Kalambo Falls, near the southern end of Lake Tanganyika, preserves occupation from about the fourth to the eleventh century, with pottery, iron slag, and remains of pole-and-mud villages. Other traditions were identified at Kamnama, Phopo, Nkope Bay, Chondwe, Kapwirimbwe, Kalundu, Dambwa, and related sites.
The regional pattern suggests at least two major streams of cultural development. An eastern tradition entered through the corridor between Lakes Tanganyika and Malawi and initially lacked cattle, while a western tradition crossed the Congo-Zambezi watershed from southern Zaire and was associated with cattle. These interpretations remain provisional, because pottery similarities link some groups across regions while also preserving strong local differences.
In northern and central Zambia and in Malawi, Early Iron Age traditions ended around the eleventh century when they were superseded by the Luangwa tradition. In southern Zambia, Kalundu pottery was followed by the distinct Kalomo type, which persisted from approximately the seventh to the eleventh century at sites such as Isamu Pad. These later developments introduced new technological and economic patterns, including stronger emphasis on cattle-keeping and cereal agriculture in some regions.
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