The Development of Complex Societies in Western Uganda

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With National Science Foundation support Dr. Peter Robertshaw will conduct an archaeological survey of the Bunyoro-Kitara region of Western Uganda. While the prehistory of the region is not well known, limited archaeological work has demonstrated the presence of unexpectedly complex sites which include such features as massive earthworks. Excavations indicate the development of a "state" the roots of which can presently be traced back to the 13th century A.D. Ethnohistoric accounts indicate that such a large scale society with strong centralized authority existed until recent times. The process by which this tropical African state developed however is not understood. Dr. Robertshaw's exploratory research will lay the groundwork for a longer term large scale project. His goal is to set the few known large sites into a broader regional context. To do this he will survey approximately 30-40% of the region. Random sampling methods will be employed to analyze ceramics at each site located so it can be placed in a chronological framework. Through the examination of site distributions in both time and space and through comparison of site sizes at a series of limited points in time it should be possible to trace the process of state development. This project is important for several reasons. Archaeologists wish to understand the processes which underly the development of social complexity and which lead to the emergence of large complex groups. While much work has been done in non-tropical regions of the world, because of practical constraints such as difficulty of access and dense vegetation relatively little is known about how states developed in tropical regions. Dr. Robertshaws' exploratory work should help remedy this defect. It will also set the groundwork for larger scale work.