EDemocratic Republic of Congo, kwatholakala ubuciko basendulo obuyindida osekungamashumi eminyaka budida izazi-mlando nezibalo. Ithambo le-Ishango, elitholwe "e-Fisherman Settlement" yase-Ishango, liyithuluzi lethambo kanye nensiza yezibalo engase ibe khona ehlehlela emuva kunkathi ye-Upper Paleolithic.
Leli thambo elinsundu ngokumnyama, eligobile, elicishe libe amasentimitha angu-10 ubude, lifaka ucezu olucijile lwe-quartz olunamathiselwe ekugcineni olulodwa, ngokunokwenzeka ukuze luqoshwe.
Imidwebo esethanjeni le-Ishango iholele emibonweni eyahlukene mayelana nencazelo yayo. Abanye bakholelwa ukuthi bangaba nokubaluleka kwezibalo noma ukuhambisana nezinkanyezi.
Ithambo libonisa uchungechunge lwamamaki kumakholomu amathathu, amanye awahumusha njengamanothi ezibalo. Nokho, abanye baphikisa ngokuthi lamamaki ayesetshenziselwa ukubala noma ukwenza izinqubo ezilula zezibalo.
Okunye ukuqagela ukuthi okuqoshiwe ethanjeni kumelela ikhalenda lenyanga. Ngomlando osukela eminyakeni eyi-20,000, ithambo le-Ishango lithathwa njengelinye lamathuluzi ezibalo amadala kakhulu aziwa isintu.
Ithambo le-Ishango latholwa ngo-1950 ngumhloli wamazwe waseBelgium uJean de Heinzelin de Braucourt ngenkathi ehlola iCongo. Yatholwa phakathi kwezinsalela zabantu kanye namathuluzi amatshe, okubonisa impucuko eyayiphila ngokudoba nokubuthana endaweni.
USolwazi de Heinzelin wabuyisela ithambo le-Ishango eBelgium, lapho manje seligcinwe khona eRoyal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences eBrussels. Kwenziwa isikhunta namakhophi amaningi ukuze kulondolozwe izinto ezintekenteke.
Iminyaka yethambo le-Ishango ibe yinkulumo-mpikiswano phakathi kwabavubukuli. Ekuqaleni kulinganiselwa ukuthi iphakathi kuka-9,000 BC kanye no-6,500 BC, manje kukholakala ukuthi isineminyaka engaba ngu-20,000 ubudala. Nokho, umsebenzi wentaba-mlilo eduze nendawo kwenze kwaba inselele ukunquma usuku olunembile.
Izimpawu ezisethanjeni Ishango zibathakasele ongoti bezibalo. Abanye bakholelwa ukuthi ithambo libonisa ukuqonda amadesimali noma izinombolo eziyinhloko. Abanye baphakamisa ukuthi bekuyithuluzi lokubala kusetshenziswa uhlelo lwezinombolo eziyisisekelo eziyi-12.
Isazi sesayensi yabantu uCaleb Everett usikisela ukuthi kungenzeka ukuthi ithambo lalisetshenziselwa ukubala, ukuphindaphinda, nanjengetafula lereferensi lezinombolo. Phakathi naleso sikhathi, umvubukuli u-Alexander Marshack wasikisela ukuthi le mibhalo imelela ikhalenda lezinyanga eziyisithupha.
Naphezu kwezincazelo ezihlukahlukene, kusekuningi ukuqagela mayelana nenhloso yangempela kanye nencazelo ngemuva kwethambo Ishango. Abanye baxwayisa ngokumelene nokuveza imibono yesimanje yesiko lezinombolo kule-artifact yakudala futhi banxuse ukuthi kuqhutshwe uphenyo kwezinye izinto ezingokomfanekiso ezivela enkathini efanayo.
Ithambo le-Ishango lihlala liyindida ethokozisayo, lisikhanyisela ngolwazi lwezibalo kanye namasiko okhokho bethu basendulo.
Ngemva kokufunda ngeThe Ishango Bone, funda ngokutholakala kwe Si.427: isibhebhe sobumba saseBabiloni esineminyaka engu-3,700, esingase sibe isibonelo esidala kunazo zonke esaziwayo sejometri esetshenzisiwe.
