The Oldest Canoe in Africa: Dufuna Boat

The Dufuna Boat

Since the Dufuna canoe was discovered by a local Fulani herdsman in 1987 archaeologists have been in a frenzy about the discovery. The canoe which was excavated by a combined team of Nigerian and German archaeologists in 1994 at Dufuna, has continued to amaze them, for the simple reason that it has changed the course of history. Dufuna is a village along the Komodugu Gana river in the Fune local government area of Yobe State, Nigeria. 

The boat was dug out from a depth of five meters beneath the earth's surface and measured 8.4 meters in length, 0.5 meters wide and about 5 cm thick varying at certain parts of the surface. The age of the boat has been put at about 8000 - 8500 years old (6000 - 6500 B.C.E.), thus, becoming the oldest boat in Africa and the second oldest on earth. It predates the Egyptian Solar Boat by over 2000 years. The canoe belongs to the Late Stone Age period (Neolithic Age), when humans ceased to roam the face of the earth hunting to become herdsmen and cultivators and in the process becoming modifiers of their environment, with complex social structures, in response to new problems and ways of dealing with situations. Above right: Dufuna Boat, Dufuna, Northern Nigeria.

But more importantly, "the canoe has shown that people in the Niger area had a history of advanced technology and that they had mastered the three major items of neolithic culture which included the fashioning, standardization and utilization of tools according to set traditions. "It gives concrete evidence of transportation by seas as well as providing evidence of some form of long-distance commercial activities indicative of existing political and economic structures."

Night You Rained

Black History Part 1

Dayo Dazzling

The Truth Behind the Zombie Myth

Introduction

The Shamans and medicine men amongst the slaves created a unique serum. This Serum gives all the effects of death. A form of this serum is called Zombie Powder. "Religion Voodoo" An Article In The 1995 A.D. August Edition Of "Focus," The Serum Contains:

The Ingredients

One human skull and assorted bones vegetable oil. Two blue agama lizards one big toad called 'crapaud bonga' (bufo marinus). 

One sea snake (a polychaete worm) a sprig f tcha-tch, "albizzia" several pods of itching pea, "pois gratter" two (preferably female) pufferfish of which must be the sea toad, "crapaud de mer" (spheroeroides testudineus). Add tarantulas, millipedes and white tree frogs to taste.

 The Method

The potion or Coup Poudre should be prepared in June when the female Pufferfish contains its greatest quantities of Tetrodotoxin. 

Be careful not to touch the mixture at any time as it can act through the skin. Tie the snake to the Toad's leg, put them in a jar and bury it. This is so that, the Toad "dies of rage", which increases the concentration of its poison. Place the skull in a fire with Thunderstone and some blessed oil and burn till black.

Roast the animal ingredients and grind with the uncooked plants in a pestle and mortar. 

Add unheated shaving of the human bone. 

A few sacred spells (Juju), now grind your mixture to a fine powder, place in a jar and bury in the coffin with the rest of your source skeleton if possible for three days. 

You now have your Coup Poudre or Zombie Potion. 

It is traditionally sprinkled in a cross on the threshold of the target.

The Purpose

A more certain method is to sprinkle it down the back or in the shoe. The victim will collapse, apparently "Dead". House slaves would then show the slave masters that the slaves were "Dead". 

The slave master would not bother to bury the slaves. He would leave that to the Slaves to take care of the burial. 

However, the slave masters would come to the funeral to make sure the slaves are truly dead. The slaves would bury the "Dead" slave in a shallow grave face down, with a hole dug to create an air pocket. This is to increase breathing space for a few hours. 


Sometimes they would put hollow twigs in the grave headstone in the form of a cross, so that they can breathe, giving the appearance of a heap of dirt with a cross made from bamboo, Which can be hollowed out. 

This apparent death, examination, would result in the appearance of no pulse. Because the drug reduces circulation, gave the slave master the impression that the slaves had a fight amongst themselves, one was killed and buried and it was over

Later that night, the slaves would dig up the grave and free the "Dead Slaves," telling them to run and go amongst the Native Americans, until they escape into another state. 

When the "Dead" slaves were Seen in other towns and reported to the slave owner as being alive and kicking. To learn more please click here