The identification of pastoral peoples in the archaeological record: An example from East Africa

Abstract

Previous research in eastern Africa has identified ‘pastoral’ groups in the prehistoric record. The definition ‘pastoral’ has been based on faunal remains. Evidence is presented to show that farming was probably practised as well, and the emphasis on the use of subsistence to define pastoral communities is questioned. An examination of the ethnographic literature shows that pastoral peoples are best identified by the cultural value placed on livestock. It is shown that the settlement locations of early pastoral communities in eastern Africa demonstrate this cultural emphasis. A model is presented to show how the arrival of specialised farming communities in Central Kenya affected the economy and settlement location of pastoral peoples; data to support the model are presented. The model illustrates the importance of ideological factors for an understanding of stability and change in pastoral settlement and subsistence systems in eastern Africa.