| The
Mangbetu occupy the Uele river area in the Northeastern part of the
Democratic Republic of Congo (formally Zaire). Archaeological evidence
shows iron smelting in the area since 2300 B.C.E., but the Mangbetu,
coming from drier lands around present-day Uganda, did not arrive until
about C.E. 1000. Through both conflict and cooperation, they exchanged
cultural traditions with other societies of the area: Bantu-speaking
peoples such as the Buda, Bua and Lese, and Ubangian-speaking peoples
such as the Azande, Bangba, and Barambo. Around 1800 a number of small
chiefdoms were consolidated into the first Mangbetu kingdom. Although
this only lasted two generations, a tradition of courtly prestige
continued even in small villages and spread to many of the
Mangbetu’s trading partners. This combination of cultural
diversity, exchange, and prestige resulted in a thriving artistic
tradition. |
