The African Pygmies
The African Pygmies, also known as Congo Pygmies or Central African foragers, are a collection of ethnic groups native to Central Africa, predominantly in the Congo Basin. Known for their short stature, which is often referred to as “pygmyism” in anthropological literature, these groups have a rich cultural heritage and unique lifestyle primarily centered around foraging and hunting-gathering. They are categorized into three main groups based on their geographic locations:
1. **Western Bambenga (Mbenga)**: These groups are found in Cameroon, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, and the Central African Republic.
2. **Eastern Bambuti (Mbuti)**: Located in the Congo Basin of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the Bambuti are perhaps the most well-known of the Pygmy groups.
3. **Central and Southern Batwa (Twa)**: This group spans Rwanda, Burundi, DRC, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Angola, and Namibia. The Southern Twa, in particular, are sometimes distinguished as “Pygmoid” due to their more varied physiology and lifestyle.
Historically, the Pygmies are believed to be descendants of the original Middle Stone Age humans who expanded into Central Africa. Their communities have undergone significant changes over millennia, influenced by events such as the Bantu expansion, which greatly reduced their territory, and later, by enslavement by neighboring Bantu, Ubangian, and Central Sudanic groups. Despite these challenges, the Pygmies have managed to preserve many aspects of their traditional culture.
Today, most Pygmy groups do not solely rely on foraging and hunting. Instead, they often engage in trade with nearby agricultural communities to acquire cultivated foods and other goods. This shift reflects their adaptation to modern economic and social conditions. In 2016, the Pygmy population in the central African forests was estimated to be around 900,000, with about 60% living in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This number does not account for the Southern Twa, who reside in a variety of environments including swamps and deserts outside the Central African forest.
Research suggests that West African hunter-gatherers, who lived in western Central Africa earlier than 32,000 years ago and in West Africa between 16,000 and 12,000 years ago, were eventually assimilated into larger groups of agriculturalists. This historical mixing mirrors the encounters between Bantu-speaking agriculturalists and Central African hunter-gatherers, highlighting the complex and dynamic history of human migration and cultural exchange in the region.
