A researcher examines Egusi seeds in a forest cave as part of Nigeria’s space research project.
Deep in Gabon’s rainforests, the Youmbidi cave is rewriting Central Africa’s prehistoric story, having been continuously inhabited for 12,000 years. Led by French geoarchaeologist Richard Oslisly, a team of archaeologists has uncovered stone tools from 10,000 BC, a 6,500-year-old pottery fragment (one of the region’s oldest), and even a delicate snail-shell bead hinting at ancient artistry. The team also uncovered human-looking teeth that could yield DNA, offering rare insight into the humans of that period. Far from the stereotype of static forest dwellers, the discoveries challenge assumptions that Africa’s forest zones lacked early human activity, revealing instead a sophisticated relationship between people and their environment. Researchers hope the site’s secrets will not only piece together a vanished world but also guide humanity in facing today’s environmental challenges with lessons from the deep past.
RFI