ザンビアにおける生態人類学研究上の諸問題

Abstract

A preliminary survey in Zambia from July to October, 1982, has revealed that the followings are important topics in the study of ecological anthropology in Zambia:1) The Twa ProblemThere are several fishermen groups called the Twa in the swamps in Zambia. Earlier researchers took them for the aboriginal inhabitants of a Bushman or Pygmy type. They have formed a symbiotic relationship with the neighboring cultivators and have come to occupy their own niche in the local ecological system. It is necessary to view the ethno-history of the Twa as a reflection of the differentiating process of their ecological niche. Similar kinds of symbiotic relationship between foragers and cultivators are found in various parts of Africa.2) Fishing life in the swampAlthough the swamp or floodplain represents one of the typical environments in Zambia, the ecology of human life in such an environment has been little studied. The fishermen in the Bangweulu and Lkanga swamps, setting their camps on the floating islands, lead peculier fishing lives adapted to the swamp environment, especially to the seasonal changes in the water level. The man-nature relationships in the swamp ecosystem are of great interest.3) Agricultural system in the woodlandThe cultivators in Zambia have developed an unique system of slash-and-burn agriculture called “citemene” system. This involves extensive utilization of the environment and is an adaptive means of living in the sparsely inhabited woodland areas. This traditional agricultural system has been seriously changed because of the population growth, introduction of cash crops, intensification of cultivation and other modernization processes. These changes and their effects on the local ecosystem should be studied in detail.These topics are planned to be dealt with in the research conducted from 1983 to 1986.