The Upemba Depression (or Kamalondo Depression) is a large marshy bowl area (

depression Depression may refer to: Mental health * Depression (mood), a state of low mood and aversion to activity * Mood disorders characterized by depression are commonly referred to as simply ''depression'', including: ** Dysthymia ** Major depressive ...

) in the

Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo ( french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC) ), also known as Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly Zaire Zaire (, ), officially the Republic of Zaire (frenc ...

comprising some fifty lakes, including 22 of relatively large size including

Lake Upemba Lake Upemba is a lake A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land Land is the solid surface of Earth that is not permanently submerged in water. Most but not all land is situated at elevations above ...

(530 km) and

Lake Kisale Lake Kisale is a lake in the Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo ( french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC) ), also known as Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly Za ...

(300 km). In an earlier era, the area was probably occupied by one large lake. The area is covered in marshland and is partially within the

Upemba National Park Upemba National Park is a large national park in Haut-Lomami, Lualaba Province & Haut-Katanga Province (formerly in Katanga Province) of the southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, formerly Zaire. Geography At the time of the creation of Upem ...

Haut-Lomami District Haut-Lomami District was a Districts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, district of the pre-2015 Katanga Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The district dates back to the days of the Belgian Congo. At its greatest extent it r ...

. The Upemba Depression has been populated almost continuously since the 5th century AD, and is considered the origin of the

Kingdom of Luba The Kingdom of Luba or Luba Empire (1585–1889) was a pre-colonial Central African state that arose in the marshy grasslands of the Upemba Depression The Upemba Depression (or Kamalondo Depression) is a large marshy bowl area (depression ...

(1585-1889). The area includes many archaeological sites and is on the tentative list for UNESCO

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

. Roughly translated, the citation for its inclusion as World Heritage Site states:

This large depression has delivered the largest known cemetery in the sub-Saharan Africa. Over 40 archaeological sites have been identified, but only six have been partially excavated so far. Their study allows tracing the complete sequence of the occupation of the region over two millennia, and thus reconstructing the history of a major ethnic group of Central Africa: the Luba.
Chronology based on more than 55
radiocarbon dating Radiocarbon dating (also referred to as carbon dating or carbon-14 dating) is a method for determining the age of an object containing organic material Organic matter, organic material, or natural organic matter refers to the large source of ...
s and
thermoluminescence Thermoluminescence is a form of luminescence Luminescence is spontaneous emission of light Light or visible light is electromagnetic radiation within the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that can be visual perception, perceived ...
shows periods of occupation since the
Stone Age The Stone Age was a broad prehistoric Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history Human history, also known as world history, is the description of humanity's past. It is informed by archaeology ...

.

Major lakes in the depression

Lake Kabamba A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a Depression (geology), basin, surrounded by land, apart from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the World Ocean, ocean, alt ...

* Lake Kabele * Lake Kabwe * Lake Kange * Lake Kibala *

* Lake Kalondo * Lake Kapondwe * Lake Kasala * Lake Kayumba * Lake Kiubo * Lake Lukonga * Lake Lunde * Lake Mulenda * Lake Muyumbwe * Lake Noala * Lake Sanwa * Lake Songwe * Lake Tungwe *

* Lake Zimbambo

References

Depressions (geology) Landforms of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Basins of Africa Haut-Lomami Geology of the Democratic Republic of the Congo {{DRCongo-geo-stub