Ngorongoro Conservation Area History and People

Ngorongoro Conservation Area

History and People
Humans have been living in the Ngorongoro area for millions of years, the small group of people of who are now living in the near to lake Eyasi they may still represent very ancient culture, these are the Hadzabe or Watindiga. These tribe are little resembling with the San(Bushmen) of South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and Angora they corresponding because of their click-language. The Hadzabe have a simple lifestyle that is very well incorporate with their environment. They gather roots and tubers, wild fruits and honey. They hunt with bows and poison arrows. They normally migrate to search for pastures for their cattle, hence they wander over the dry and rugged areas in search of lush vegetation. Their way of life may be typical of humans' for much of our evolution.

About 10,000 years ago Pastoralists as the evidenced by the presence of cattle bones, lived on the Serengeti and in Ngorongoro crater , these people they named as ''stone bowl people'' after many stone bowl tools they made , usually they hammered out volcanic rock. The Stone Bowl people used the bowl as mortars, for grinding seeds, root or pigment with stone pestles. Also in the site there is the evidence of pottery, beads,bits of iron pendants and other few iron tools. The stone bowl people are the ones who originated from the shallow stream courses on the plains, that stream are now used today by the animals and people. About thousand years ago the traces of Stone bowl people disappeared , they wandered their lifestyle or integrated with other peoples.

The next tribe dwell in the area were Iraqw people they arrived in two thousand or more years ago. These people probably came from Ethiopia, because they spoke Cushitic language as Ethiopians do, these people had a livestock and may be they cultivated millet when they are in Ngorongoro area. But now day they living in the eastern side of the Ngorongoro Highland south toward Lake Manyara. Among all Bantu tribes which are located in southern Africa over 100 tribes were living in Tanzania. They arrived in 400-500 years ago and settled the coastal region and the lakes. But the most common tribe that was living in Ngorongoro area was the Sanjo, who are now living in the vicinity of Lake Natron.
In over three hundred years ago the Pastoralists group called Dagota (Mang'ati or Barabaig) were arrived in the crater undoubtedly forcing any past occupants out of the area, they were fought by the Maasai who entered the area in about the 1800s. Due to these conflicts the Maasai won the Serengeti-Ngorongoro area and large part of Savannah of Northern Tanzania, but the Dagota still live to the South- west of the NCA in lake Eyasi.

It is believed that the Maasai tribe is the mixture of Nilotes (people from the Nile area) and Hamites(people from South Africa), it thought that they migrate along the Nile into the Lake Turkana area of Kenya in about 15th century. Maasai means'' Speaker of the Maa Language'', linguistically, they Maasai are closely related to the Bari of Sudan. The cattle of Maasai are not as productive as other domestic stock but they are hardy and disease resistant. During the migration of the Wildebeest , Maasai do take the precaution of relocating their herds into the mountains to prevent them to get disease carries by the Wildebeest. Normally Maasai used their cattle for exchange and legalise marriage as well as for food, their house are constructed of wood ,covered with mud, the soil is normally mixed with the dung and urine of cattle to make it water-resistant. Their house are made in a circle, hence the cattle are kept in the inner circle to protect from the predators.

The origin of the word Ngorongoro came from a name of a specially valiant group of Dagota warriors who were defeated by Maasai after fight in the crater, up to now Maasai show a certain respect to them by calling ''Mang'ati'' which means ''respected enemy''. Just as likely the name Ngorongoro could be an age set of Maasai, the other prospect for the name Ngorongoro was the name of a Maasai cattle bell maker who lived in the crater or the name for grinding stone which the caldera resembles. A deep bit of human history in this area is'' ruined city of Engaruka''. This city is situated simply outside the NCA at the foot of Empakaai and it is at least 500 years old, it consist of terraces built into the Mountain with remains of stone houses and past irrigation system, there is no evidence to any tribes to built up the city.

At the end of 19th century German took Tanzania and called it Deutch Ost -Africa, by the turn of the century, hunters and explorers were well introduced. The early scientists observed in the area was Pro. Wilhelm Kattwinkel who tripped upon a fossils whilst in Olduvai Gorge After the first world war the British took up the area and named it Tanganyika Territory, in 1921 the Game conservation ordinance was informed by the British and 1928 hunting and agriculture was limited in crater. In 1929 about 2286sqkm of the Serengeti central part(Seronera) was started a game reserve, but sport hunting was still allowed.

The development of the area was started at the time when the road from Karatu to Loliondo was constructed around 1930s. In 1931 the expedition organised by Louis Leakey with Pro. Hans Reck was attempted to Olduvai area to search for the fossils. And in 1935 lion hunting was banned in the Seronera valley.

In 1951 the Serengeti National park was finally established ,at the time when its had not yet separated, and 1958, 12 elders of Maasai were signed the document to agrees to move to the NCA. .After independence of Tanganyika in 1961 the government declared the body Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority(NCAA) this body was started for the purpose of protecting and integrating diverse value and interest. In 1979 the NCA was stated a world site , in 1981 NCA and SNP were started an International biosphere Reserve.

Please visit Wild Things if you are interested in visiting Ngorongoro.

Frederick Mlaponi is a Tanzanian Student researcher on work experience with Wild Things Safaris in Tanzania http://www.wildthingsafaris.com.