Dundo

A town of northeastern Angola with mines where alluvial deposits are worked for diamonds. A sequence of stone industries includes an Acheulian occupation succeeded by Sangoan and then Lupemban industries, the last being dated to before 30,000 BC. The Lupemban continued until c 13,000 BC. From c 12,000 BC, Tshitolian industries developed and continued until after the introduction of iron-working around the beginning of the Christian era.

A town of northeastern Angola, the centre of extensive mines where alluvial deposits of the northwards-flowing Congo tributaries are worked for diamonds. The nature of the deposits and the circumstances of the recovery of the prehistoric artefacts which they contain have ensured that little archaeological material has been discovered in undisturbed contexts. It has nevertheless proved possible to establish a sequence of stone industries, for part of which radiocarbon dates are available. Sparse Acheulian occupation of the area was succeeded by Sangoan and then by Lupemban industries, the last being dated at Mufo near Dundo to before 30,000 be. The Lupemban continued, with reduced artefact size, until cl3,000 be. Throughout this period it seems likely that the local climate was not significantly different from that of the present. From cl2,000 be Tshitolian industries developed and appear to have continued in vogue until after the introduction of iron-working technology around the beginning of the Christian era.