User:Koenig1969/Lake Victoria Shell Middens

Introduction Lake Victoria is the largest freshwater lake in Africa and the world’s largest tropical lake. Globally it is only second in size to Lake Superior in the United States. It is bordered by three countries in East Africa. They are Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Lake Victoria, which is also known as Victoria Nyanza is infamous for its shell middens, as they are of notable archeological value. As a result of well stratified sites archeologists are able to better document human expansion, technologies and culture that date back six millennia. Excavations of shell middens, fish, animal remains, lithics and pottery have allowed for a better understanding of hunters and gatherers who garnered the ability to exploit water ways and lakes, which ultimately led to early herding and farming. Lake Victoria’s coordinates are 1.000◦ S, 33’000◦ E. and receives most water through precipitation. Although expanse is size, 26,600 sq. miles, depth is rather shallow. There are many streams that feed into Lake Victoria. Lake Victoria is the only river to flow north which is on the north shore flowing into the Nile. History and Research Louis Leakey was the first archeologist to uncover shell middens in Kangera West amongst other artifacts and human bones in East Kanam in the 1930’s. Lake Victoria shell middens were largely overlooked in their importance till late 1979 and 1980 by Dr. Robertshaw and his colleagues who undertook the task to excavate five sites around the lake. Their paper detailed the topography of the lake and lakeshore area, including the basin, valleys, and volcanic structures in addition to fauna. Extensive research of pollen, green algae, chemical analysis of the basin allowed Dr. Robertshaw to complete a comprehensible environmental history of Lake Victoria. Seasonality had a predominant impact upon subsistence and pottery. Noted was the lack of obsidian and crypto-crystalline silca which is indicative of not being readily available. Noted was the wear and repair on the obsidian microliths. The early work of Dr. Robertshaw’s  excavations of shell middens around Lake Victoria gave rise to other studies especially pottery, particularly Kansyore, (formerly Olome) and gave rise to the knowledge of long term human settlements by one particular culture who were successful in an aquatic civilization. An emphasis on Kanyore pottery demonstrates the duration of a successful long term economy and geographical location. Kansyore represents a later Stone Age pottery that dates as far back as 8200-2400BP and runs for the longest period of time. Nderit pottery is representative a Pastoral Neotlithic time span of 4500-3000BP, Elmenteitan Pottery Pastoral Neolithic from 3300-1300BP and Urewe Urewe pottery from the Early Iron Age which have been seen in consecutive layers. These ceramics and their shifts reflect diets and dates to help decipher the human Expansion and are found Lake Victoria and surrounding areas. Early Holocene developments in the around Lake Victoria emphasizes the ingenuity and resourcefulness of a people who took advantage of waterways, lakes, and wetlands. This aggregation demonstrates the advancement of lithics, bone tools, grind stones and pottery. Wadh Lang’o is a site in Kenya that runs along the rapids of the Sondu-Miriu River. This river empties into the Winam Gulf of Lake Victoria. The exploitation and specialization of the wetlands shows a major cultural shift during the mid-Holocene. A transition to a food forager to the landscape that are close to lacustrines or river fishing spots. Near the lake shell middens were present lending to a shellfish encampment. Perch, Cichlids and Lung fish depending on the season. Lake shore midden sites tend to have less shell middens, Kansyore pottery and a lack of fish bones due to possibly smoking them for later use. Delayed reciprocity is not common and quite a unique food economy. On belief is that the inhabitants of Lake Victoria had seasonal fishing spots that would be weekend lake home and larger River sites that are found near rapids were their primary base where shell middens and animal bones would be more significant. Certain sites contain caprine domestic bones implying possible trading with pastoralists or becoming small herd shepherds. Kansyore pottery even though sparse at the lake shore site was found in both settlements which suggest the same culture inhabited and exploited both localities, food subsistence and took advantage of the climate and seasons.