Zepter
- Angola [Land]; Tschokwe (Chokwe) [Ethnie]
- Afrikanische Gesellschaft in Deutschland (Disposal); Max Buchner (Collector)
People may have inhabited the coast for well over
10,000 years, but it appears that the proliferation
of red cedar played a key role in the development
of the first societies in the area. Although simple
woodworking tools dating to all ages of settlement
have been documented, the first specialized tools
did not appear until 5,000 years ago when cedar
became more abundant. The first larger structures
made of red cedar, such as houses and posts,
appeared 2,000 to 3,000 years ago. Fully developed
woodworking techniques dating to 2,500 years ago
have been documented. At the time, however,
only very few trees were available that were large
enough to construct canoes or large dwellings,
and these were found only in a few locations.