By Theophile Obenga

Although assembled for the needs of Higher Education, the texts that make up this collection can nevertheless be used for high school education and are essentially aimed at the teaching of African history - the methodical and precise study of documents. Beyond this pedagogical function, these texts may also be of interest to all who desire first hand information on the human past of Central Africa before the advent of colonization. What is important and original about this collection is that the texts deal with social facts, with forces of production, with economic yields, social classes, material and economic life, which in effect constitute the bases of political, religious and philosophical concepts.