Tools in the Rainforest of Africa

TOOLS FROM THE RAINFOREST

• The tools that the natives used to harvest their plantains, oil palms, yams, etc were digging sticks, iron axes, and hoes. Natives were more inclined to work with tree based crops rather than rows of crops like carrots and beans. Thus, most of the tools were used to dig up crops or to cut them out of the trees. The digging stick, which is a curved stick made out of wood was used to dig out tubers and roots like yams. The stick, which had a curved end attached to the tip was sharp enough to dig out the roots, but not to split the yam in half. This digging stick was a new version of just a regular stick, one of the first known tools in the area. The natives would use a stick to move dirt and plant seeds. The digging stick, however, had the curved end the allowed for roots to be removed. Iron smelting did not occur until the 14-1600’s. Blacksmiths in West Africa are responsible for the production of agricultural tools, and sometimes weapons and jewelry. The use of iron made it easier to harvest crops and improved the rate of production. One of these tools, which was used in the Rainforest zone, was the iron ax. This ax, which had a curved end was used in harvesting plantains from trees, and used on oil palms. Since some land was cleared out for root cultivation, the axes were sometimes used to cut down unwanted trees.
• A huge problem in the rainforest was the diseases that were brought by tsetse flies. The wet climate of the forest was a breeding ground for mosquitoes and these flies which carried the trypanosomiasis virus which was not only fatal to cattle, but also cause sleeping sickness in humans.The fatality of cattle due to this virus in another reason why the natives did not breed cattle in the area. The sleeping sickness that plagued the natives in the area also caused a lack in the labor force. This disease ultimately prevented the rainforest from developing pastoral/agropastoral systems.

Works Cited:

Green , Erik . "Production systems in pre-colonial Africa ." The History of African Development. Web.https://www.aehnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Green.Production-Systems-in-Pre-Colonial-Africa.pdf

Ross, Emma George. "The Age of Iron in West Africa”.  The Met's Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. Web. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/iron/hd_iron.htm

Maudlin, Ian, P. H. Holmes, and Michael A. Miles. The Trypanosomiases. Wallingford, UK: CABI Pub., 2004. CABI. CABI Publishing, June 2004. Web. 2 Feb. 2017. <http://www.fao.org/waicent/FAOINFO/Agricult/AGAInfo/programmes/documents/paat/Trypan.pdf>