Notes sur Ndéba, une enceinte fortifiée à la frontière du Cameroun et du Nigéria

Abstract

The study of the fortified site Ndeba in the Mambila area of Cameroon (Adamawa Region) shows two successive phases of occupation. The first dates to the first millennium AD, and the second, marked by the construction of the fort, belongs to the late nineteenth century or early twentieth. This is consistent with the widespread insecurity during that period known from historical sources for the entire nineteenth century. But beyond these historical circumstances, is it possible to see it as the archaeological trace of a declaration of political independence made by a small community of western central Cameroon? This maybe speculative, but leads to reflection on still unresolved questions about the background of such political statements and their possible roots in the long term.

Keywords

• Mambila
• fortification
• linear earthworks