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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 02 April 2024
The publication of the article “Recent Models of the African Iron Age and the Cattle-Related Evidence” by Hromnik in a journal sponsored by Unesco raises a number of serious issues which we, as members of the International Scientific Committee charged with the responsibility of preparing an up-to-date and scientific history of Africa purged of its mists of racist propaganda, unfounded assertions and misleading and dangerous misinterpretations, cannot ignore. These issues include the scientific accuracy or authenticity of the article.
1 D. W. Phillipson, "The Later Prehistory of Eastern and Southern Africa", London, 1977; C. Ehret, "Cattle-keeping and Milking in Eastern and Southern Africa", Journal of African History, 8, 1, 1967, pp. 8-9.
2 Hromnik, p. 110. Is Indian Hindi? Or another of the many languages of this sub-continent?
3 He says "most common in the Deccan" (p. 111) but does not give the origin here.
4 Hromnik gives evidence neither here nor in his own book, Indo-Africa; Towards a new understanding of the history of Sub-Saharan Africa, Cape-Town (Juta), 1981.
5 Idem, op. cit., p. 112.
6 Idem, op. cit., p. 111, fn 17.
7 Humpless shorthorns are small and humped longhorns bigger and the palaeontologist can estimate height and weight of the animal. But there are small humped shorthorned beasts like the Inkuku variety in Rwanda and humpless longhorns were undoubtedly also heavier.
8 H. Epstein, The Origins of the Domestic Animals of Africa, New York, 1971, Vol. I, is the only specialized work.
9 M. Guthrie, Comparative Bantu, Vol. 2, 1971, pp. 46, 50, 62.
10 Evidence in M. Guthrie, op. cit., v. 3, under the entry and C. Ehret, op. cit. For "eastern" and "western" Bantu, cf. J. Vansina, "Western Bantu Expansion", Journal of African History, v. 25, 1984.
11 Ankole is a variety of large cattle with humps, all crosses between Zebu and humpless longhorns. This strain is quite variable as breeding occurred without much control for most cattle as opposed to the Inyambo variety, a well-controlled strain. Then the Inkuku are the product of small humpless cattle and Zebu. On this, cf. Sirven C. Prioul, Géographie du Rwanda, Brussels, 1974.
12 B. M. Fagan, Iron Age Cultures in Zambia, London, 1967, 1969, ((2 vols.); T. N. Huffman, "Africa south of the Zambezi" in General History of Africa, From the Seventh to the Eleventh Century, Vol. 3, in preparation, Unesco, Paris.
13 L. D. Ngcongco, "Southern Africa: its peoples and social structures", in General History of Africa, vol. 4, 1984, pp. 592-5, Unesco, Paris; R. Elphick, Kraal and Castle: Khoikhoi and the Founding of White South Africa, New Haven, 1977, p. 8-21.
14 Unesco General History of Africa, vol. 2, ch. 11.
15 R. Summers, Ancient Mining in Rhodesia, Salisbury, 1969.
16 Zimbabwe's structures date from the 13th through the 15th centuries and hence none of these exotic speculations could be correct although Smith's Rhodesian government propaganda upheld them until the end. Cf. B. A. Fagan, "The Zambezi and Limpopo basins -1100-1500" Unesco General History of Africa, Vol. 4, ch. 21, p. 532-550.
17 C. Hromnik, op. cit., pp. 104, 105.
18 Idem, op. cit., pp. 104, "If, for example, a skull of a definitely Negroid type…".
19 C. Ehret in International Journal of African Historical Studies, 15, 1982, p. 548-550; C. P. Ownby, "The Indian Ropetrick", Journal of African History, 23, 1982, pp. 415-416.
