Lake Eyasi

Oscar Baumann, the Austrian geographer, found Lakes Eyasi and Manyara during his 1890-1892 expedition and Hans Meyer from Leipzig, professor in what was by then called colonial geography reached the top of Kilimanjaro (Kibo) with his colleague Purtscheller in 1889.

First German, Dr. Baumann, to reach Serengeti in 1882, recorded first sightings of Lakes Eyasi, Manyara, and Ndutu. Took 23 days to cross Serengeti.

During the 1930s several research expeditions were conducted by the German ethnologist and physician Professor L. Kohl-Larsen in the region east and south of Lake Eyasi. Although he was mainly interested in ethnology, he and his wife Margit undertook important archaeological excavations, one of which was at Mumba Rock Shelter at the north-eastern end of Lake Eyasi. This excavation, which lasted about nine months, yielded not only more than one hundred thousand cultural remains, but also skeletal remains of 18 individuals from the Later Stone Age and Iron Age (Br�uer 1978a, 1979b). Moreover, he discovered the well-known, probably early Upper Pleistocene jaw fragments from Garusi and the Eyasi cranial remains, which are hitherto the only representatives of the East African remains with Neandertaloid features. (Protsch 1977).

In the spring of 1935 the Kohl-Larsens excavated another important rock shelter, which yielded the skeletal material presented in this paper. The shelter is situated south of Lake Eyasi about 12 kilometres east of Mkalama village (see Fig 1) and was named Strauss-H�hle (Strauss Rock Shelter) because it showed the painting of an ostrich (German: Strauss), about 30 cm the height and red in colour (see Kohl-Larsen 1958). The shelter (Fig II) which is called Kinto Rock Shelter by the local inhabitants is situated on a small hill, and is made up of two rocks which areopen to the east and west. The main rock, which is the bigger of the two, has a length of 8 to 9 m and lies upon the smaller one, so that the shelter is closed at the top. The eastern side is protected by rock blocks against the wind and rain (Kohl-Larsen 1943). A comprehensive analysis of the cultural remains (Tomsky, in preparation) and the human skeletal remains was conducted only recently.

We left Mwanza (25July1975) around 1000 hrs traveling southeast through Maswa town (formerly Shanwa) and Lalago stopping at Ndoloji Catholic mission (19 mi. S.of Kishapu).There was a driving ban in Tanzania at this time after 1400 hours so we spent the night at the Catholic mission. The next day three clergy- men (K.Thesing, Father Ohmann. Brother John) and myself left in two four-wheel drive landrovers at 0800 hours taking a track southeast through Somagedi.

We crossed over the dry Sanga river at Mwabuso into Maswa district and after Latta crossed more dry rivers. After passing a cattle market at Mwanymomba a fork in the road is reached. The right fork takes you to the southern edge of the lake north of the Limbita river where a small number of people were mining salt.The left fork proceeds on towards the escarpment (Rift valley wall) ending before the Lukale river which is also dry at this time. At the point where the Lukale river reaches the bottom of the escarpement there are 3 separate rock lined pools of water known as the Limbita tanks used formerly for irrigation purposes but the spoor of baboons was the only indication of present usage.

We took the right fork to visit the salt workings and then found a less used track working our way around the lake shore until we located the gorge where the Lukale river cuts through the excarpment. We arrived at this point around 1230 hours.

I would recommend that people wishing to vist lake and salt workings take the right fork as there is no track running between the lake and Limbita tanks which required us to drive across open country through Acacia bush.

The route in from Ndololeji is not passable during the rainy season (March-June) due to the lack of bridges over the river beds and during the rains travel would be difficult along the lake shore. During the dry season (July-Sept) one can drive along the edge of the lake in a landrover throughout its length, being careful not to venture too close to the center were the moist bottom would cause problems (not recommended for saloon cars). At the northern edge of the lake we noticed a flock of 100 lesser flamingoes and one saddlebill stork. Other forms of wildlife were abundant despite lack of grassy vegetation.

All the Wataturu people had left the area taking their livestock to regions where grass is available. We saw what appeared to be a resident herd of wildebeast, and zebra. We also observed 22 giraffe, a herd of Thomson's gazelle and a number of dik-dik antelopes.The Kori bustards(2) were seen as well as a species of guinea fowl most like the crested and the grey-breasted spurfowl.

After making camp and spending the night in a clearing between the lake shore and the escarpment we awoke at dawn to the chattering of Fischer's love birds and a small number of Rufous tailed weavers seen leaving their grass ball- like nests in the Acacias nearby,We drove to the Limbita tanks and noticed several nests of the Egyptian vulture in mostly inaccessible areas (except for one site on the left side of the Sibiti river,) overlooking the sheer escarpment above the tanks.

Leaving the area around 1600 hours we arrived back at the mission station around 2000hours (Ndololeji).

Heart of the Rift (30 min.)

Produced by the BBC

The eastern shore of Lake Eyasi in Tanzania is home to the Hadza, one of the few remaining tribes of hunter-gatherers in the world. Ray Mears travels with them through their magnificent country as they hunt with their five foot long bows and poisoned arrows, eating their bush foods along the way. Ray samples natural honeycomb "grubs and all" and the sweet-tasting, venison-like dik dik before turning to nature's natural bathroom cabinet by chewing on a twig of the "toothbrush tree." He marvels at the skills of the young Hadza who, at the age of two, start practicing their hunting skills, shooting their bows and arrows at butterflies and insects before graduating at the age of 10 to birds and small animals. Ray learns how to make the poison for their arrows from the roots of the beautiful but deadly desert rose, a process that without great care can prove fatal for the handler.

Here is a link to a short film about Wataturu Pastoralists who are from the Singida Region and currently live in the Lake Eyasi basin.

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