Uganda
-- Archaeology
A wide
range of
archaeological
remains
have been
discovered
in Uganda,
ranging
from early
stone tools
to trade
goods brought
from the
coast by
nineteenth
century
traders
and explorers.
The
Paleolithic
collections
housed
at the
Geological
Survey
at Entebbe
include
2,500
pieces
from
the former
environs
of Lake
Victoria,
which
were
exposed
along
the Kagera
River
valley,
chiefly
around
Nsonezi.
These
finds
indicate
a richly
developed
Acheulean
handaxe
culture,
which
has been
dated
at between
100,000
and 50,000
years.
Handaxes
have
also
been
discovered
in gravel
deposits
near
Parra
and Mweya.
Later
stone
tools
of the
Sangoan
Culture
(named
after
the Sango
Bay in
Masaka
District)
have
been
found
in western
Uganda
along
the Kagera
River
valley
and on
hills
around
Mbarara.
The
Magosian
Culture,
named
after
a water-hole
site
in Karamoja,
flourished
7,000
to 5,000
years
ago,
leaving
deposits
of small
stone
tools.
Many
beautifully
fashioned
quartz
tools,
resembling
those
of the
Stillbay
Stone
Age Culture
of Somaliland,
have
been
found
near
Moroto.
Agriculture
reached
Uganda
2,000
to 3,000
years
ago and
quickly
spread
over
western
Uganda.
Nevertheless,
hunting
and food-gathering
people,
making
tools
resembling
those
of the
Wilton
Stone
Age cultural
tradition,
lived
in caves
and rock
shelters
near
Lake
Victoria.
These
peoples
were
slowly
absorbed
into
the more
settled
Bantu
agriculturists.
The
Nsongezi
rock
shelter
was re-excavated
in 1961
and dated
to about
1,000
A.D.
These
Stone
Age survivors,
perhaps
kin to
the present-day
Bushmen,
were
probably
responsible
for the
rock
paintings
found
in Teso,
at Kakoro
in Bukedi
and on
Lolui
Island
in Lake
Victoria.
Some
time
during
the last
twelve
hundred
years,
iron
working
spread
into
Uganda
from
the north.
When
excavated
in 1957,
Bigo
was found
to have
defensive
ditches
cut 12
feet
into
solid
rock,
evidently
made
with
metal
tools,
which
stretch
across
nearly
four
miles
of country.
During
the 1960s,
archaeological
work
focused
on Bigo
forts,
village
sites,
and painted
pottery,
as well
as on
legendary
associations
with
a mythical
peoples
known
as the
Bachwezi.
Excavations
at Bigo
showed
a two-phase
occupation,
one associated
with
the Bahima
Bachwezi,
the other
with
the Babito.
Excavations
were
carried
out in
1961
by the
British
Institute
of History
and Archaeology
in East
Africa
at Kantsyore
Island
in Ankole
and near
Suam
in Sebei.
These
sites
are particularly
important
for their
dimple-based
ware,
early
Iron
Age pottery,
and hut
foundations.