Origins and Spread of Pastoralism in Africa

Abstract

The antiquity of African pastoralism is no longer in dispute. We now have information about more than the broad outlines of the origins and spread of herding societies in the continent. Several regional studies, when combined, allow a coherent picture of the wider scope of pastoral adaptation. We start with a basic ecological model of adaptation to the grassland environments of Africa, against which we then can understand the socio-political relationships between the different groups that can be identified in the archaeological record. None of this means that we have worked out the whole picture. As will be seen in the ensuing narrative, fundamental theoretical disagreements remain-for example, about what constitutes a domesticated animal, or with respect to the problems of understanding the transition from hunting to food production; and these indicate the need for more data. Pastoral archaeology in Africa is currently a growth area, and it is to be hoped that this article will encourage entry both into the arguments and into research efforts to fill gaps in our knowledge.