A Kikuyu—Ingombe Ilede connection?

Abstract

Dr Pierre de Maret, of the Musée Royal de l'Afrique Centrale at Tervuren, who is well known for his archaeological work in west-central Africa, offers us these interesting observations. We would welcome further informed comment, especially on whether the distinctive hafted hammers referred to here—and indeed the wire-drawing techniques and equipment employed both in the Zambezi region and in the Kenya highlands—should be regarded as ‘indigenous’ Bantu items or rather as resulting in some way from coastal and overseas contacts at different periods. For the Kenya highlands we believe that Jean Brown's unpublished doctoral thesis, ‘Traditional blacksmiths and metalworking in Kenya: an ethno-archaeological approach’ (Edinburgh, 1980), contains much relevant material.