Activities >> Sites

Cameroon: Stone Built Structures In the Mandara Mountains

Background

The so-called stronghold of the Arrondissements of Koza and Mayo Moskota in the Extreme North Province of Cameroon are sites of unknown function and age built of the local granites and related rocks. Prior to recent research by a team led by Professor Nicholas David of the University of Calgary (Canada), only part of one site, albeit the most impressive, had been the subject of a note published by the geographer Christian Seignobos in 1982. Those could be the only coherent archaeological sites of any antiquity in the densely settled northern Mandara mountains reason why P. Nicholas David sougth the advice of a conservation architect regarding the interpretation, preservation, stabilization and possible reconstruction of these sites, and also to assist in their archaeological investigation in a manner consistent with the preservation of a unique element in the Cameroonian cultural heritage. A first mission was carried out in 2002 by Edward Matenga on behalf of Africa 2009.

Objectives

The overall objectives of the projet situé is to make a detailed assessment of the situation of the DGB sites and to prepare a conservation and management plan. In order to get the DPC better involved in the project and start identifying the stakeholders, it was agreed upon that in 2004 a preparatory mission would be carried out by a team of the DP when in the mean time, all documents prepared by the archaeologists would be collected.

Structure

After the first overall assessment mission, it was agreed to organise a series of missions that would gradually lead to the elaboration of a management plan for the site, though respecting the Africa 2009 strategy towards that, with a process in five main steps:

• establishing a working group;
• identifying the site and its stakeholders;
• gathering documentation about the site;
• preparing a synthesis;
• defining objectives and strategies.
  

Results in 2004

• DPC actually involved in the project;
• Main stakeholders identified and sensitized;
• Existing documentation gathered.
  

Members of Africa 2009 network involved

Raymond Asombang, Premier conseiller technique du Ministre de la Culture, (DS,SC) Christophe Mbida Messi, DPC (DS, RP) Jean marie Datouang Djoussou (TS).