The record
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- Archaeologists carried out an emergency excavation at the Caculo Cabaca dam site in central Angola after construction workers found stone structures in 2023, ahead of the area being flooded by the dam's reservoir.
- They recorded 117 groups of stone structures and excavated 65, including 12 burial mounds, some containing human remains.
- Radiocarbon dating showed burials from the early 15th century, making them Angola's oldest dated burials and proving stone architecture existed locally before European arrival.
- The finds also included the country's only known ancient urn cremation and burial goods that suggest a more complex view of social status, possibly involving women.
What to watch next
- Full publication details in the Journal of Field Archaeology, including analysis of the unusual urn cremation
- Further study of what the grinding stones, pottery and iron slag reveal about the status and roles of those buried
- Whether any similar pre-16th-century stone sites are found elsewhere in central Angola as research continues
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Named Angola · Caculo Cabaca · Antonio Cavazzi · Cuanza River · Imbangala · Journal of Field Archaeology · Libolo · Medium · Museum national d'Histoire naturelle · National Museum of Archaeology in Benguela · Ndongo · Njinga
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