Waja

Par
Eloi Cyrille Tollo1

Abstract.
The archaeological excavation in the site of Elig-Zogo Philadelphia in the Center
region of Cameroon, near the small city of Sa’a, has uncovered an ancient iron
production workshop dated from de 13th century AD. This consists of five remains
of furnaces that can be observed from the surface. In accordance with the Mayor of
Sa’a, it was decided that only one structure will be excavated and that the rest shall
be preserved. The site is located in front of the of the presbytery of the Philadelphia
church in the village of Elig- Zogo. The structure 4 that we excavated was a pit
filling with heterogeneous artifacts made of slag, remains of chimney, tuyeres and
charcoal. The size and the nature of slags suggest that the site serves to refine
blooms coming from natural draught furnaces. Cases of this double reduction are
known within some ethnic groups in subsahara Africa such as the Bassa and the
Banen of Cameroon or the Mossi of Yatenga in Burkina Faso. The iron production
workshop was made of non-slag-tapping shaft bowl furnaces that functioned with
forced draught. The chimney was circular and build with clay.
Mots clés: Cameroun, métallurgie du fer, paléosidérurgie africaine.