Ishango is a Congolese lakeshore site located in the north-eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo in Africa, previously known as Zaire.

[2] Virunga National Park was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979 as a result of its geological and biological processes, unique natural phenomena, and its diverse habitats where rare and endangered species survive.

[8] The earliest evidence for hominin occupation at Ishango is an isolated upper molar, consistent with those from australopiths and early members of genus Homo, likely dating to at least two million years ago.

[9] Other archaeological discoveries made at this site are consistent with Later Stone Age occupation including the dependence on lithic technology, composite tools, and the utilization of fish and other resources found in central Africa.

The remains of bones from animals like fish, hippopotamus, buffalo, and antelope demonstrated taphonomy consistent with cutting, revealing the dietary habits of these past people.

[2] The remains found at this site allow for the characterization of a hunter-fisher-gatherer community that shows reliance on the surrounding environment along with complex social and cognitive behaviors.

[6] Climate and environmental changes also attributed to this "fisherman settlement" as the increase in rainfall led to the tradition of fishing after "sedentarisation and the introduction of animal breeding.