Kibiro

[4] Kibiro is located at the bottom of the Western Rift Valley on the Continent of Africa, and on the eastern shore of Lake Albert.

[8] “The production of salt at Kibiro is based on leaching of saline soil, the resulting brine is then boiled to evaporate the water”.

[11] “This recycling is accomplished by the repeated spreading of loose dry soil on the surface of a damp salt-bearing deposits, from which sun-induced capillary action draws out salty moisture”.

[13] The process of winning the salt entailed techniques that were more tedious than the relatively simple harvesting methods employed at the crater lakes on the equator.

[11]“The surface of the higher area of the Kibero coastal plain has a scatter of broken pottery that extends for over a kilometer from north-east to south-west”.

[18] “The fragments of broken pottery, which are known locally as nkibo, form an almost continuous carpet on the Kihenda surface, much of which has only a thin grass cover”.

[18] Salt manufactured from the springs at Kibero in western Bunyoro was distributed across Lake Albert by dugout canoes to populations in the Lendu area of the northeast Congo.

[16] The site of Kibero consisted of four discrete cuttings, which sampled three separated parts of the most extensive area of settlement deposits.

[11] The first cutting, excavated in early 1989, was only a test-hole, intended to gain a preliminary understanding of the deposits and their contents and to establish an initial radiocarbon chronology”.

[26] The animal bones typically that the people of Kibiro relied on fish for a source of food as well as on domesticated cows, goats and/or sheep.

[26] In addition to fish and cows, there were other wild animal remains found which were those of hare, various rodents, crocodile, snakes, frogs and birds, that are believed to have been supplemental to their diet or may have been included in the deposits for reasons that are not quite clear.

[22] “Cutting II was located at the edge of what seemed the deepest archaeological deposits, revealed sloping rock rubble which had probably resulted from long continuance of the practice of removing stones from adjacent salt-gardens and heaping them out of the way”.

[22] The other cuttings had a variety of thicknesses which were made up of earth, sand, gravel or silt, blended with stones that were different sizes and also had a phenomenal number of potsherds in the majority of the cases.

[11] There had to be some understanding that, “as time goes on the village population increases, it seems inevitable that more and more of the important Kibiro deposits will be destroyed by the digging of these pits”.

[21] Though it is important to know the origins of an old kingdom, it comes at the cost of exploiting the resources that make the small village of Kibiro unique and cause it to no longer be the place in which the beginnings can be traced.

Kibiro hotsprings and salt mines in Hoima
Kibiro salt Garden
The production of salt at Kibiro is based on leaching of saline soil as seen in the picture, the resulting brine is then boiled to evaporate the water
The fragments of broken pottery, which are known locally as nkibo , form an almost continuous carpet on the Kihenda surface, much of which has only a thin grass cover
Kibiro Salt Gardens, located in Hoima district, Uganda, is a historical site that dates back centuries. It is known for its traditional salt extraction methods and is considered one of the oldest salt gardens in East Africa. The history of Kibiro Salt Gardens can be traced back to the pre-colonial era when the indigenous people of the area, primarily the Alur and the Banyoro, discovered the natural salt springs in the region. These salt springs were formed due to volcanic activity in the area, resulting in the presence of saltwater in the underground aquifers.
Kibiro salts are extracted from the natural salt springs found in the Kibiro area. These salt springs were formed due to volcanic activity in the region, resulting in the presence of saltwater in the underground aquifers. The indigenous people of the area, primarily the Alur and the Banyoro, discovered these salt springs and recognized the value of the salt. The extraction of Kibiro salts is traditionally done using simple and age-old methods. The saltwater from the springs is diverted into shallow pools or pans made of clay. The water is then left to evaporate under the sun, leaving behind salt crystals. These crystals are then harvested, cleaned, and packaged for sale or trade.