Rivals No More: Jan Vansina, Precolonial African Historiography, and Archaeology

This tribute to Jan Vansina explores the role of archaeology in the investigation of early African history, arguing for more work on the relationship between politics and the practice of ritual. The well-trodden topic of migrations of Bantu-speakers is revisited to examine the potential of genetics and archaeology to contribute to their investigation. Vansina often claimed to be a positivist and empiricist but there are contradictions in his writings that are tied to his changing vision of the purpose of precolonial African historiography. His view that African history must be meaningful to Africans resonates with recent developments in African archaeology.