100 Years of archaeological research in Zambia: Changing historical perspectives

Abstract

The development of archaeology in Zambia under J. Desmond Clark, Brian M. Fagan, David W. Phillipson, Joseph O. Vogel and many others has gone through paradigmatic shifts from Stone Age to Iron Age studies and recently to emphasis on heritage conservation and protection of archaeological sites. Issues that were central to these researchers are discussed and highlighted. The paper is a historical narrative of one hundred years of archaeological developments that have taken place since the promulgation of the BushmanRelics Proclamation in 1912. It highlights four historical developments in the discipline: the early period of archaeological work in the country followed by professional, expatriate and indigenous archaeologies. These have placed Zambia on a firm international footing with a longer tradition of Stone Age and Iron Age studies than some of her neighbours. Issues central to each period are highlighted together with paradigmatic shifts that took place in research methodologies, terminology, interpretations, linkages with national aspirations and the post-independence emphasis on heritage conservation and protection. I argue that the post-1980 archaeological agenda became less clear with less emphasis on research. The paper also considers some of the challenges for future Zambian archaeology.

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