LIBREVILLE, GABON—According to an AFP report, the remains of some 30 people dated to the fourteenth century A.D. have been discovered in a cave in southeastern Gabon by a team of researchers led by French archaeologist Richard Oslisly. Acidic soils in sub-Saharan Africa make the discovery of human remains in the region very rare, explained archaeologist Geoffroy de Saulieu of France’s Research Institute for Development. Objects recovered from the cave, which is known as Iroungou, include more than 500 metal artifacts, such as knives, axes, spears, bracelets, and collars, and 39 pierced hyena and panther teeth. “This cave will enable us to find out a little more about these peoples of central Africa, largely unrecorded in history,” Oslisly said. Scientists will examine the bones for information about diet and disease. The researchers also hope to obtain DNA from the remains for analysis. To read about a study that found traces of hominin DNA in modern human populations from sub-Saharan Africa, go to "Living Evidence."
