VIIᵉ siècle – Xᵉ siècle
Lake Kisale, northern Katanga, Democratic Republic of the Congo
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Sanga is a major Iron Age burial ground on the shores of Lake Kisale in the upper Congo–Lualaba basin. Excavations uncovered numerous graves containing Kisalian pottery, iron and copper ornaments, weapons, glass beads, and seashells. Radiocarbon dates place burials with Kisalian pottery between approximately the eighth and tenth centuries. The site provides evidence for advanced metalworking and long-distance exchange in central Africa, while also supporting the interpretation of Katanga as an important centre of metallurgical development.
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Le récit
At Sanga, where the upper Congo or Lualaba passes through a chain of small lakes, a vast burial ground extended along the shores of Lake Kisale. Excavations carried out in 1957 and 1958 investigated roughly sixty graves among many thousands. The burials were accompanied by pottery vessels, iron and copper ornaments, weapons, glass beads, and seashells, revealing a community connected to material networks that reached beyond its immediate environment.
Two radiocarbon determinations from skeletons buried with Kisalian pottery produced dates between approximately the eighth and tenth centuries. The pottery had rounded bases, contracted shoulders, and flaring necks with inturned rims. Half-moon motifs decorated the shoulders, while the rims were frequently grooved, incised, or comb-stamped, giving the assemblage a distinctive archaeological identity.
The significance of Sanga lies especially in the abundance of copper and iron and in the sophistication of the associated techniques. Wire-drawing and welding demonstrate a high level of metallurgical skill in the interior of the subcontinent, where direct contact with the outside world appears to have been limited. The site therefore supports the view that Katanga’s mineral deposits had been known and exploited for a considerable time before the excavated burials.
VIIᵉ siècle – Xᵉ siècle
Lake Kisale, northern Katanga, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Traduction non disponible · Original (anglais) · français indisponible
Sanga is a major Iron Age burial ground on the shores of Lake Kisale in the upper Congo–Lualaba basin. Excavations uncovered numerous graves containing Kisalian pottery, iron and copper ornaments, weapons, glass beads, and seashells. Radiocarbon dates place burials with Kisalian pottery between approximately the eighth and tenth centuries. The site provides evidence for advanced metalworking and long-distance exchange in central Africa, while also supporting the interpretation of Katanga as an important centre of metallurgical development.
Poursuivre l’exploration
Le récit
At Sanga, where the upper Congo or Lualaba passes through a chain of small lakes, a vast burial ground extended along the shores of Lake Kisale. Excavations carried out in 1957 and 1958 investigated roughly sixty graves among many thousands. The burials were accompanied by pottery vessels, iron and copper ornaments, weapons, glass beads, and seashells, revealing a community connected to material networks that reached beyond its immediate environment.
Two radiocarbon determinations from skeletons buried with Kisalian pottery produced dates between approximately the eighth and tenth centuries. The pottery had rounded bases, contracted shoulders, and flaring necks with inturned rims. Half-moon motifs decorated the shoulders, while the rims were frequently grooved, incised, or comb-stamped, giving the assemblage a distinctive archaeological identity.
The significance of Sanga lies especially in the abundance of copper and iron and in the sophistication of the associated techniques. Wire-drawing and welding demonstrate a high level of metallurgical skill in the interior of the subcontinent, where direct contact with the outside world appears to have been limited. The site therefore supports the view that Katanga’s mineral deposits had been known and exploited for a considerable time before the excavated burials.