"The Pygmies Were Our Compass": Bantu and Batwa in the History of West Central Africa, Early Times to c. 1900 C.E. (Social History of Africa Series) [Paperback]

Kairn A. Klieman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 19, 2003 | ISBN-10: 0325071055 | ISBN-13: 978-0325071053

Covering more than 2,000 years this important region's history, this book is a groundbreaking contribution to the knowledge of pre-colonial Africa. It is the first historical work to reconstruct a Batwa or "Pygmy" past, thereby questioning Western epistemologies that have long portrayed the Batwa as a quintessential people without history.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“In this unusual and important study, the author brings the so-called 'pygmies' or hunters-gatherers out of the margins of precolonial African history and centers them as critical actors. She terms them 'forest-specialists,' thus highlighting the skills that allowed them over centuries to sustain dynamic relations with expanding agriculturalists until, she argues, the Atlantic trade undermined the basis of the relationship. This is a significant study not only for regional specialists but for all who seek to integrate early African societies into their teaching.”–Phyllis M. Martin Ruth N. Halls Professor of History, Indiana University

Book Description

Covering more than 2,000 years this important region's history, this book is a groundbreaking contribution to the knowledge of pre-colonial Africa.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Heinemann (December 19, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0325071055
• ISBN-13: 978-0325071053
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #694,345 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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