Diversité des milieux de vie et variabilité de la morphologie sociale en Afrique

Abstract

The article puts together the contributions of fourteen researchers, specialists of the most diverse sectors of the African archaeology (palaeolithic industries, néolithisation, history of the breeding, rock art, emergence of the complex societies, ferrous metallurgy, developments of soils, on concerning subjects of regions very contrasted and scattered on the whole continent (South Africa, East Africa, Western Africa, Sahara, Maghreb). Its coherence finds its origins in the prejudice to centre the general reflection on the study of the socio-economic variability, in the time and in the space. Through the consideration of elements of this surprising mosaic, it is a question of wondering about the nature of the answers brought by the human groups confronted with the gnawing environments (pressure of the natural surroundings, socioeconomic relations, cultural and historic frames. Africa considered through these diverse facets thus becomes, for the authors, the major laboratory of reflection for the establishment of a reliable documentation on the crucial problem of the complexity of the relations between the Man and its environment.

Keywords

• Africa
• culture
• ecology
• environmen
• history