Research Items

Abstract

Early Man in Uganda. Mr. E. J. Way land, as a preliminary to a Geological Survey Memoir to be published in the course of the current year, has summarised in chronological order the main features of his studies in Uganda since 1919 with reference to its prehistory (J. Roy. Anihrop. Inst., 64, Pt. 2). The prehistory of a country is no longer merely a question of culture sequences and human types, but has now been enlarged to include the physical conditions, their changes and the effects of these on human activities. In Uganda there were not only great changes of climate during Pleistocene days, but also of topography and hydrography, consequent upon powerful earth-movements, of which the Rift Valley and Victoria Nyanza are two visible expressions. Two pluvials are claimed in the Pleistocene and in each of them is an intrapluvial period, while the post-pluvial period is punctuated by two spells of moister climate. They are separated by a relatively dry break and preceded by a more pronounced swing towards aridity. Earth movements are recorded at three points, to the most recent of which the present configuration of the Rift Valley and the lake and the flow-direction of the river-system are due. Equated with these events of the Pleistocene are Stone Age cultures. With Pluvial I are associated Early and Later Kafuan. In the following inter-pluvial, lakes dry up. The early part of Pluvial II is associated with Pre-Chellean and Protosangoan, followed by Chelleo-Acheulean and Early Sangoan. It is correlated tentatively with Riss. An intrapluvial follows associated with Acheulean, a valley culture, and Full Sangoan, a hill culture. Pluvial II, correlated with Wurm, is associated with Mousterian and Lower Aurignacian, followed by Still Bay and Upper Aurignacian, respectively. The Aurignacian has the appearance of a foreign origin, presumably from the north or north-east. From the Aurignacian arise microlithic industries, such as Magosian and Wilton, a dying Still Bay influence being discernible in the former. These are post-pluvial and are correlated tentatively with the Achen retreat and Buhl stadium. In Uganda, pottery appears first with Wilton.