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Congo Basin Rainforest Prehistory Challenged and Extended

Kristin Safi collecting samples in the field near Poteme village, N’Gotto Forest, CAR

Kristin Safi collecting samples in the field near Poteme village, N'Gotto Forest, CAR

During their stay in Poteme the team, led by Dr. Karen Lupo, found a unique pit feature site with a buried intact pot, probably dating to about 2000 yrs before present). The local inhabitants were completely unaware of this site, and they are unfamiliar with the concept of prehistory or remote time. For most people in this area, old is anything that’s about 50 years old. So everyone was very surprised by this find.

Credits: Karen Lupo, Department of Anthropology, Washington State University