LÉOPOLDVILLE, AUGUST 22, 1951.

Today, the Society for Anthropologists, Ethnographers, and Historians of the Belgian Congo (SAEHCB) has announced its first triumph. In April, four months after the SAEHCB was officially created in Brussels, a team of researchers supported by Léon de Sousberghe, a Jesuit priest and a student of ethnography, set out from Léopoldville towards Musumba, the former capital of the Kingdom of Lunda. The team was led by Guy Thilmans, a 28-year old anthropologist that had been profoundly interested in the African continent.

The team began their journey in Léopoldville on April 3, 1951. They avoided the worst of the rainy season in Katanga. They were accompanied by the Force Publique under the command of Belgian officers, which ensured their safety and passage through the hazardous terrain of the Congolese jungle. It was a month-long journey with Guy Thilmans being responsible for collecting first hand reports and observations regarding the customs, traditions, and ways of life of the various peoples inhabiting the Belgian Congo.

Following their arrival in Musumba, the team established a haphazard research base with tents to serve as living quarters, specialized equipment and a small laboratory dedicated to the relatively simple initial analysis of any discovered artifacts. Any complex analysis, such as groundbreaking radiocarbon dating methods, would require a careful transport of these artifacts to Belgium.

Thilmans decided to divide the team into two - one would focus on establishing friendly relations with the locals, conducting interviews and cultural exchanges that could help to contextualize any artifacts found in the region. The other team would undertake the excavations in a radius of three kilometers from their base in the town. This approach lasted from May 19, 1951, until August 25, when the final discovery of two Lunda artifacts was concluded.

The Lunda Artifacts

The initial result of the exploration was a small burial site. Inside it was a skeleton and a mask. Upon further inspection, it appears that the mask represents Nzambi a Mpungu, possibly indicating either a worship of the Bakongo deity in this region or the exchange of trade goods between the Lunda and the Bakongo. The mask presents unmistakable signs of weathering and damage, likely from the humid weather. It has a strong blue-green patina and structural damage, especially around the left cheek and eye. Sociological comparative analysis and historical contextualization puts the artifact at around 1000-1200 AD.

Further investigation was made within the burial site in the following days. A pottery piece made out of terracota was unveiled. The iconographic representation is unknown but it was used for utilitarian storage. An analysis of the contents of the pottery suggests it was used to carry water. The artifact stands at a vertical height of 23 centimeters. It has a horizontal diameter spanning 30 centimeters. It has a reddish-brown tonality due to the firing process. It also has moderate wear and tear, with chipping along the rim and superficial abrasions throughout the surface. Minor cracks are also present. It was fashioned by hand following coil pottery construction methods. There are also faded geometric motifs in red pigment. A sociological comparative analysis was used in combination with historical contextualization to conclude that this artifact was created around 1200-1290 AD.

The Aftermath

The findings of the Lunda artifacts, as well as the interviews on the Lunda peoples, were published in the Journal of Anthropology, Sociology, and History on the Belgian Congo, Volume 01, Number 01, August 1951. The article talked about the overall process that was undertaken until they arrived at the site, the methodology utilized, and a compilation of interviews that shed some light on the behavior of the Lunda, their world-view and the significance of these artifacts to them.

Prime Minister of Belgium, Max Buset, sent a small letter to the researchers, congratulating them for their first discovery within the colony. "I extend my warm congratulations to all of those who made this research possible. It is only through the pursuit of science and knowledge that mankind will progress" were the concluding remarks of the letter.

SUMMARY

• Belgian scholars have unveiled two artifacts that are estimated to have been made in the 12th and 13th centuries in the Katanga region.

• They have also published their findings in their own journal, the Journal of Anthropology, Sociology, and History of the Belgian Congo.

• It is likely that the artifacts will later be sent to Belgian museums.