 | Jean de Heinzelin (1920-1998) Geologist at the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences from 1946 to 1985, he was also a professor at the universities of Ghent and Brussels. He worked mainly on geology and archaeology of Palaeolithic Africa. |
Scientific explorations in the Congo
The site was discovered in 1935 by Hubert Damas, a zoologist at the University
of Liège. In the 1930s, the Institute for the National Parks of Belgian Congo had
undertaken a thorough scientific exploration of the parks. This resulted in an
impressive series of publications on the park's flora and fauna.
The discoveries of Hubert Damas
A zoological observation survey on the shore of Lake Edouar of Damascus brought
to light remains of an ancient human presence : human bones. So that this
discovery could be followed by an archaeological exploration, Damas brought
the find to attention with a publication.
The excavations at Ishango
Jean de Heinzelin was in charge of the first archaeological explorations
during several archaeological campaigns between 1950 and 1959. In the late 1980s,
an American team led by Alison S. Brooks of George Washington University,
conducted two further excavations.