@article{fdi:010084057,
  title = {{A}rchaeological evidence for population rise and collapse between ~2500 and ~500 cal. yr {BP} in {W}estern {C}entral {A}frica},
  author = {{S}aulieu, {G}eoffroy de and {G}arcin, {Y}. and {S}ebag, {D}. and {N}lend {N}lend, {P}.{R}. and {Z}eitlyn, {D}. and {D}eschamps, {P}ierre and {M}{\'e}not, {G}. and {D}i {C}arlo , {P}. and {O}slisly, {R}ichard},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{P}alaeocological studies show that major vegetation and environmental changes occurred in {C}entral {A}frica from the mid-{H}olocene (e.g. {M}aley & {B}renac 1998). {S}everal suggest a human origin and assume that large population migration, technical innovations (e.g. iron-smelting technology) and/or change in agricultural practice, leading to deforestation and land clearance, are the drivers of these changes. {H}owever, at this stage, the lack of demographic reconstruction does not fully support these hypotheses. {H}ere, a georeferenced archaeological database is used to infer population dynamics and the evolution of cultural practices in {W}estern {C}entral {A}frica over the last 5000 years. {T}his database includes 1139 14{C} calibrated dates from 425 sites throughout southern {C}ameroon, {G}abon, the {R}epublic of {C}ongo, {E}quatorial {G}uinea and the western part of the {D}emocratic {R}epublic of {C}ongo, dating back a maximum of 5000 cal. yr {BP}. {D}ata modelling indicate possible population growth from 2500 to 1500 cal. yr {BP}, coinciding with the occurrence at a regional scale of specific techniques and practices. {T}he concomitant increase of refuse pits, palm oil {E}laeis guineesis and iron metallurgy (plus rare remains of millet {P}ennisetum glaucum) took place during the second half of the {N}eolithic, beginning around 2800 cal. yr {BP}. {I}n the coastal regions, the population growth concerns the {N}eolithic and the {E}arly {I}ron {A}ge (2500-2000 cal. yr {BP} and 2000-1500 cal. yr {BP}), while in the {H}interland population growth seems slightly later (2400 and 1300 cal. yr {BP}). {I}t is not possible to identify a common diffusion phenomenon from a single homeland. {R}ather, technical innovations and new practices appear to have spread through a wide network of cultural interactions, which fostered the formation of {W}estern {C}entral {A}frican societies during the third millennium.},
  keywords = {{CAMEROUN} ; {GABON} ; {CONGO} ; {GUINEE} {EQUATORIALE} ; {REPUBLIQUE} {DEMOCRATIQUE} {DU} {CONGO}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{A}frique : {A}rch{\'e}ologie et {A}rts},
  volume = {17},
  numero = {},
  pages = {11--32},
  ISSN = {1634-3123},
  year = {2021},
  DOI = {10.4000/aaa.3029},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010084057},
}