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Ethno-linguistic and genetic variation in Central Africa: From Hunter-gathering to Agriculturalism

Ethno-linguistic and genetic variation in Central Africa: From Hunter-gathering to Agriculturalism. Lolke Van der Veen, Lluis Quintana-Murci, Gemma Berniell. Linguistic and cultural diversity (general setting) Lolke Van der Veen 2. Genetic variation, ongoing analyses A. mtDNA variation

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Ethno-linguistic and genetic variation in Central Africa: From Hunter-gathering to Agriculturalism

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  1. Ethno-linguistic and genetic variation in Central Africa:From Hunter-gathering to Agriculturalism Lolke Van der Veen, Lluis Quintana-Murci, Gemma Berniell Workshop on Languages and Genes: recent work and emerging results. Aussois, September 2005.

  2. Linguistic and cultural diversity • (general setting) • Lolke Van der Veen • 2. Genetic variation, ongoing analyses • A. mtDNA variation • Lluis Quintana-Murci • B. Y-chromosome variation • Gemma Berniell Workshop on Languages and Genes: recent work and emerging results. Aussois, September 2005.

  3. 1. Linguistic and cultural diversity Lolke Van der Veen Dynamique du Langage (UMR 5596) Pygmy settlement in forest Bantu village Workshop on Languages and Genes: recent work and emerging results. Aussois, September 2005.

  4. OUTLINE • How people and languages came into place: • a historical scenario based on findings from different • fields of research • Time depth Time span of major dispersals • Initial habitat Diversification • Proto-Bantu Convergence • Type of spread • Major directions • Encounters • How things are nowadays • Bantu-speaking Africa • Gabon Workshop on Languages and Genes: recent work and emerging results. Aussois, September 2005.

  5. Major dispersals Minor dispersals Bantu dispersal and relative chronology: schematic representation 4 000 BP 2 500 BP 3 000 BP 2 000 BP ? 1 500 BP Major convergence area Workshop on Languages and Genes: recent work and emerging results. Aussois, September 2005.

  6. Bantu dispersal (1) Time depth: 4,000 YBP. Extension of Sahara, gradual retreat of the rain forest. Demographic changes, i.a. Bantu dispersal. Initial habitat: Bantu-speaking villagers, practising agriculturalism, moving away from the Cameroon-Nigeria border area, in search of new lands. (Cf. Clist, 2005) Proto-Bantu: a normal, i.e. dialectally fragmented, language. Type of (initial) spread: gradual, wave-like. Linguistics and archaeo- logy rule out mass emigration. Major directions: southward and eastward (through rain forest or bypassing it). Also numerous secondary spreads. Workshop on Languages and Genes: recent work and emerging results. Aussois, September 2005.

  7. Bantu dispersal (2) Encounters: Sedentary Bantu-speaking groups and much smaller groups of nomadic hunters-gatherers. Symbiotic coexistence in forest environments. Traces of contact, but not of substantial cultural admixture. Also encounters with Nilotic and Cuchitic speakers (Great Lakes region), and Khoisan speakers (East, South). Various degrees of admixture. Time span of overall dispersal: about 3,500 years. Forest and savannah environments. Ancient contribution of diffusal of iron metallurgy (at some stage of the expansion, but not the initial stage). Diversification: dialectal fragmentation, mosaic-like pictures. Punctuation. Convergence: clear signs of linguistic and cultural admixture. Kaleidoscopic landscapes. Equilibium. See zones on map (supra). Workshop on Languages and Genes: recent work and emerging results. Aussois, September 2005.

  8. How things are nowadays (1) Some 500 languages covering most of Sub-Saharan Africa Well-documented language group Highest degree of diversity in north- western part Many endangered languages Workshop on Languages and Genes: recent work and emerging results. Aussois, September 2005.

  9. How things are nowadays (2a) Major subdivisions (Bastin & Piron 1999 lexicostatistically based classification) Mbam/Bubi North-western Central-western South and eastern Great variety of local level clusters Workshop on Languages and Genes: recent work and emerging results. Aussois, September 2005.

  10. How things are nowadays (2b) A maximum-parsimony analysis (Holden 2002) « Bantu language trees reflect the spread of farming across sub- Saharan Africa. » Very similar to Bastin & al. (1999) Workshop on Languages and Genes: recent work and emerging results. Aussois, September 2005.

  11. How things are nowadays (3) Cultural variation - No such a thing as ‘Bantu culture’ - More or less important differences:  Mating strategies: endogamy vs. exogamy, etc. Dowry systems Residence strategies: patrilocality vs. matrilocality  Kinship systems: matrilineal vs. patrilineal descent, etc.  Social stratification, subsistence, political organisation  Beliefs systems, cosmology, axiology  Art  Dominance, belligerence  Technological and cultural specialisations  Etc. Mvet player (Bantu, Fang) Workshop on Languages and Genes: recent work and emerging results. Aussois, September 2005.

  12. How things are nowadays (4) Linguistic and cultural boundaries within western Central African Bantu: The case of the Gabon area and the western Bantu dispersal. Workshop on Languages and Genes: recent work and emerging results. Aussois, September 2005.

  13. Gabon (1): • Linguistic diversity • Some 50+ language • varieties • Dozen local clusters • Pygmy settlements (  ) Workshop on Languages and Genes: recent work and emerging results. Aussois, September 2005.

  14. Gabon (2a): preliminary dendrogramme calculated by Nerbonne’s team B20a B30 B20b B40 B60b B20c B70 B10 B60a B50 A75 Clustering: Complete Link Workshop on Languages and Genes: recent work and emerging results. Aussois, September 2005.

  15. Gabon (2b): preliminary dendrogramme calculated by Nerbonne’s team (Part of North-western Bantu) (Part of Western Bantu) B20 B30 B60-B70 B10 B40 B50 A75 Clustering: Ward’s Method Workshop on Languages and Genes: recent work and emerging results. Aussois, September 2005.

  16. 4 A75 Fang 1 B10-B30-B20? Myene-Tsogo-Kele? Major Western Expansion Route (costal, inland, both?) Main Convergence Zone B50?-B60-B70 Njabi?-Mbete-Teke 3 B40-H12a Shira-Vili 2 Gabon (3): Major dispersal routes (inferred from diachronic language studies) GABON Reference numbers according to Maho (2003). Workshop on Languages and Genes: recent work and emerging results. Aussois, September 2005.

  17. Gabon (4): Example of major linguistic boundary within Gabon North-western (A/B10/B30/B20?) vs. Western-central North-western Bantu Western-central Bantu Workshop on Languages and Genes: recent work and emerging results. Aussois, September 2005.

  18. Mahongwe (B20) Bekwil (A85) Gabon (5a): Masks as an example of cultural variation Fang (A75) Galwa (B10) Kota (B20) Pove (B30) Duma (B50) Tsogo (B30) Punu (B40) Teke (B71) Map: Luto/Gabontour, Libreville, 2001 Workshop on Languages and Genes: recent work and emerging results. Aussois, September 2005.

  19. PUNU Funerary Statuette KOTA Reliquary MBETE Funerary Statuette FANG Reliquary (Byeri) TSOGO Reliquary (Fetish) Gabon (5b): Reliquaries and funerary statuettes as an example of cultural variation Workshop on Languages and Genes: recent work and emerging results. Aussois, September 2005.

  20. How things are nowadays (5) Linguistic and cultural boundaries between western Central African Bantu and (originally) non-Bantu - Linguistic boundaries: two different situations ▫ No evidence of boundarie(s): language shift (RULE) ▫ Case illustrated by the Bakao Pygmies: Ubangian language (EXCEPTION) Workshop on Languages and Genes: recent work and emerging results. Aussois, September 2005.

  21. How things are nowadays (6) Linguistic and cultural boundaries between western Central African Bantu and (originally) non-Bantu - Cultural boundaries: ▫ (Traditional) lifestyle: farming vs. hunter-gathering ▫ Habitat & mobility: sedentary vs. (semi-)nomadic ▫ Group size: large vs. small ▫ Social stratification and organisation ▫ Social and economic interaction N.B. More and more, Pygmies are adopting a sedentary lifestyle (government policy). Workshop on Languages and Genes: recent work and emerging results. Aussois, September 2005.

  22. GABON Four onsite missions: 10 zones (13 sites) retained for sampling Workshop on Languages and Genes: recent work and emerging results. Aussois, September 2005.

  23. Blood samples collected and processed in Gabon (CIRMF) (mtDNA and Y-chromosome analyses in process) Benga (A34): 53* Fang (A75): 70* Makina/Shiwa (A83): 50* Bekwil (A85b): 5 Galoa (B11c): 51* Orungu (B11b): 42 Kele/Ngom (B22): 50* Mbangwe (B23): 6 Kota (B25): 59* Shake (B251): 52* Tsogo (B31): 66* Okande (B32): 8 Eviya (B301): 38 Eshira (B41): 53* Punu (B43): 52* Nzebi (B52): 63* Duma (B51): 49 Obamba/Mbama (B62): 54* Ndumu (B63): 44 Teke (B71a): 56* Baka Pygmies (non Bantu): 39 (* = target of 50 achieved) Total (March 2004): 960 blood samples. (Genetic data from 21 out of the 50 populations.) Workshop on Languages and Genes: recent work and emerging results. Aussois, September 2005.

  24. See Lluis Quintana-Murci’s presentation See Gemma Berniell’s presentation Workshop on Languages and Genes: recent work and emerging results. Aussois, September 2005.

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