Book

The ecology of the Gwembe Tonga

Manchester University PressManchester • Published In 1962 • Pages: xxii, 274 , 11 photos on 6 plates

By: Scudder, Thayer, University of Zambia. Institute for Social Research.

Abstract
This is the companion volume to Colson (1967), who also studied the social organization and human ecology of the Gwembe Tonga as a baseline study prior to the Tonga resettlement in connection with the Kariba Dam. Scudder focuses on ecology, investigating the causes of famine during the preceding century. The author discusses the different types of agriculture practiced, population and settlement patterns, subsidiary economic activities such as animal husbandry, fishing, hunting, and gathering, and lastly, he discusses the causes of famine. He concludes that food shortages were caused by irregular rainfall, Zambezi River flooding, animal and plant pests, degradation and subdivision of alluvial holdings, household variation in crop production, and (formerly) intertribal and intra-neighborhood raiding.
Subjects
Food quest
Animal husbandry
Agriculture
culture
Tonga
HRAF PubDate
2014
Region
Africa
Sub Region
Southern Africa
Document Type
Book
Evaluation
Creator Type
Ethnologist
Document Rating
5: Excellent Primary Data
Analyst
Marlene Martin ; 1976
Field Date
1956-1957 (11 mos.)
Coverage Date
1850-1957
Coverage Place
eastern Southern province, Zambia
Notes
Thayer Scudder
Companion vol. to "The social organization of the Gwembe Tongo" by E. Colson
Includes bibliographical references (p.262-265)
Published on behalf of the Rhodes-Livingstone Institute by Manchester University Press
LCCN
67118694
LCSH
Tonga (Zambezi people)
Traditional farming