This discovery led me into discovery of who I am and how my life journeys and works are interconnected – migration, farmers daughter, resilience, healer, gathering, family, care, building and empowering communities. Knowing your lineage can help you trace your path and unlock your life deep secrets. Be aware this is not a scientific proclamation but my personal understanding and opinion. From multiple research sources, this is what i found and know about my roots and origins, My first visited Shum Laka failed due to current ongoing insecurity, watchout for this ground breaking discovery to be continued.
Shum Laka, a significant archaeological site located near Bamenda in northwest Cameroon, offers profound insights into the early history of human societies in Central Africa. This rock shelter, situated at an altitude of approximately 1,600 meters on the inner wall of the Bafochu Mbu caldera, has been a focal point for understanding the origins of the Bantu civilization and the broader patterns of human migration across the African continent.
Early Human Occupation
Human presence at Shum Laka dates back at least 30,000 years, making it one of the oldest known archaeological sites in the region. Excavations have uncovered over 1,000 ceramic sherds, nearly 500,000 pieces of lithic materials, and 18 human skeletons, indicating continuous occupation over millennia. These findings suggest that the site was a hub for forest-based hunting and gathering, with a gradual transition towards more intensive exploitation of tree fruits and other resources. News | Duke Kunshan University
Genetic Insights into Ancient Populations
In a groundbreaking study, researchers sequenced the genomes of four children buried at Shum Laka between 8,000 and 3,000 years ago. The results revealed that these individuals carried the deeply divergent haplogroup A00, a lineage found at low frequencies among some present-day Niger-Congo speakers. However, their genome-wide ancestry profiles were markedly different from contemporary Bantu-speaking populations, aligning more closely with West-Central African hunter-gatherers. This indicates that the early inhabitants of Shum Laka were not direct ancestors of the Bantu-speaking groups that later expanded across Sub-Saharan Africa. The Leakey Foundation
The Bantu Expansion and Its Origins
The Bantu expansion, a series of migrations that spread Bantu languages and cultures across much of Sub-Saharan Africa, is believed to have originated in the highlands of the Nigeria-Cameroon border region around 1000 BCE. While Shum Laka itself may not have been the direct source of this expansion, its proximity to the hypothesized homeland and its role in the development of pre-agricultural economies make it a key site for understanding the early stages of Bantu civilization. Wikipedia
Cultural and Technological Developments
The archaeological record at Shum Laka reflects significant cultural and technological advancements over time. During the Late Stone Age, the inhabitants produced microlithic tools primarily made from quartz. Around 7,000 years ago, there was a shift towards the use of macrolithic tools, pottery, and polished stone implements, marking the transition to the Stone to Metal Age. These developments suggest a gradual evolution in material culture and technological sophistication, laying the groundwork for the complex societies that would emerge during the Bantu expansion. SpringerLink
Conclusion
Shum Laka stands as a testament to the deep and diverse human history of Central Africa. While it may not have been the cradle of the Bantu civilization, its rich archaeological and genetic record provides invaluable insights into the early human populations that inhabited the region. The site’s findings underscore the complexity of human prehistory and the intricate patterns of migration and cultural development that have shaped the African continent.
