Study of the prehistoric industries of Haut-Ogooué "Republic of Gabon"

Abstract

Archaeological discoveries are increasingly numerous every day in Africa. Indeed many African countries, who were "history-less”, keep finding whole parts of their distant past thanks to archaeological excavations. Gabon, like many others African countries like Angola, Mali, takes parts in this strategy. In these place surface collecting, lithic tools selecting organized and used by old way researchers, give way to real methodical excavations. The Haut-Ogooué province, in Gabon's southeast area, the use of methodical excavations allowed the discovery of several archaeological sites and revealed stone remains from distant periods. These lithic remains are solid proof of a distant human presence and are worthy of a methodical study, allowing exact knowledge of the technological choices of people of old and their chronology. Several studies, done during our thinking on our study area's prehistorical toolmaking, allowed a review of existing data and provided answers about local chronologies, among other matters. They were a great help in understanding and following the evolution of the different toolmaking industries found in this area. They allowed identification of the different ways used to collect lithic remains, beyond plain typological inventories who were practiced before. Many technological choices have been both identified and characterized by typo-technological analyzing, descriptions of cutting methods and finally the raw materials managing. Several stone tools making processes in this part of the country have been so identified thanks to carried out analyzes. These data are significant because they give tidings about the evolution of tool-making techniques over prehistoric age in Haut-Ogooué province's archaeological sites. Harvested sites show ancient lithic manufacturing implementation. Comparative studies of lithic remains from Haut-Ogooué province, from other Gabonese and Central Africa areas and elsewhere allowed the classification o