Shum Laka

Shum Laka is a significant archaeological rockshelter located in the Grasslands region of the Laka Valley, northwest Cameroon. It serves as a key site for understanding the Later Stone Age and the development of Bantu-speaking peoples. The site features extensive stratified deposits dating back to 30,000 BP, providing insights into various cultural phases. Key finds at Shum Laka include over 1,000 ceramic sherds, nearly 500,000 lithic pieces, and 18 human skeletons, indicating multiple short-term occupations over millennia. The site also revealed a unique microlithic quartz industry and evidence of interaction with various West African groups. Geoarchaeological investigations have established a reliable cultural chronology, emphasizing Shum Laka's role in understanding regional prehistory. Despite its proximity to the hypothesized origin of Bantu languages, DNA analysis suggests the site's occupants were not a source population for Bantu expansion.