ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a pollen diagram prepared from a 10 m core of sediment collected in 1982 from Ahakagyezi. The steep hillslopes around Ahakagyezi are covered with a patchwork of small fields, the chief crops including sorghum, beans, peas, and Irish and sweet potatoes. Ahakagyezi provides the best dated and least ambiguous record of forest clearance for eastern Africa. Iron-working is archaeologically rather conspicuous and the date of its spread through eastern Africa can be regarded as being rather well known; it therefore seems certain that early forest clearance at Ahakagyezi was Neolithic. The cultivation of sorghum and finger millett was probably acquired by Bantu farmers from these people, who must rank as candidates for pre-Iron Age forest clearance at Ahakagyezi. The earliest forest clearance at Ahakagyezi was, however, considerably earlier than the date suggested by linguists for the presence of Central Sudanic speakers, and possibly another people such as Pygmies were responsible.
