Les mégalithes à structures composites du Faro (Cameroun) : typologie et fonctions

Abstract

The megaliths of Faro in northern Cameroon have for a long time remained in oblivion even though they present varied features (stones, pottery, carved wood, plants) which are rare in the sub-region. Yet, these structures are interesting given that it is possible to collect information about their uses from the local population. In the Faro region, some megalithic stone specimens are similar to those already described, classified and compared according to different criteria from the Mandara mountains through the Grassfields and the Adamaoua plateau. Based on the organization, the archaeological artefacts and the oral tradition, the study of megalithic constructions has led us to recognize three main morpho-stylistic specificities for the constructions in this part of the Benoue basin since the beginning of the 19th century: type 1, identifiable by one or more monoliths associated with or without archaeological material and plants; type 2, recognizable by grouped monoliths associated with carved posts; and type 3, characterized by circles of standing stones and millstones associated with pottery decorated with buttons. Type 1 is distributed in the entire region, whereas type 2 and 3 are found respectively in the western and in the eastern part of the Faro river.

Keywords

• standing stones
• megalith
• typology
• ethnography