​The forests of the Congo Basin constitute the second-largest tropical forest massif in the world. The study of these ecosystems is essential for understanding the history of their use by humans and assessing their resilience, ecological dynamics, and conservation potential in the face of current environmental, social, and scientific challenges. In this context, the ECOTROP geoscience workshop focused on the ancient villages of Doumé (Ogooué-Lolo Province, Gabon) to examine the impact of past human occupation on the soils. 

The objective of this research is to analyze the physicochemical properties of the soils of these abandoned sites, in relation to traces of human activity (charcoal, pottery shards, refuse pits). The study thus aims to document the ecosystem signature left by ancient societies by combining pedological, archaeobotanical, and geochemical approaches.

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