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The information presented in this article is derived from academic research and is not fictional, and references are attached at the end of the article.
Deep in the dense rainforests of central Africa, a mysterious dwarf race, the Pygmies, hides.
They are one of the oldest peoples in central Africa, virtually cut off from the outside world for thousands of years, and to this day they maintain an almost primitive way of life.
The average height of the people here is no more than 1.40 meters for men and shorter women, who have lean physiques, broad noses, lighter skin tones, and curly hair that is different from other African ethnic groups.
Their cultural traditions are equally unique, with their own language, as well as a complex set of social structures and traditional Xi.
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In the dense rainforests of central Africa, as well as in the distant Andaman Islands of Asia, the Malay Peninsula, the Philippines, and even some islands in Oceania, a unique group of humans lives the Pygmies.
Their height does not exceed 1.5 meters, which is particularly striking among modern humans.
Scientists have long been curious about the reasons for the short stature of pygmies, and numerous studies have tried to solve this mystery.
In exploring the secret behind the pygmies' short stature, scientists hypothesized that their particular height may have been an adaptation to the rainforest environment in which they lived.
In the harsh environment of the rainforest, with limited food resources and a hot and humid climate, a smaller body may help to obtain food with less effort, dissipate heat, and start childbearing early in a resource-stressed environment to ensure the continuation of offspring.
However, despite the validity of these theories, the exact evolution of the dwarf size of pygmies remains a mystery.
Researchers compared the genes of two different tribes of Pygmies in central and eastern Africa and found a startling fact: The Pygmies of the two tribes, although similar in size, had very different genetic profiles.
This finding challenges previous assumptions that the Pygmies may have originated from a single ancestor and then dispersed across Africa.
Rather, the new findings appear to support a more complex evolutionary process, in which the dwarf bodies of Pygmies may have evolved independently multiple times in Africa, rather than from a single origin.
This groundbreaking findings also reveal a strong signal from natural selection.
This means that pygmy stature is not just an accidental phenomenon, but a special adaptation to the rainforest environment, which has left an indelible mark on their genes.
The researchers speculate that the genetic trait of short stature may provide Pygmies with multiple survival advantages, such as conserving energy, avoiding heat more effectively, and entering fertility early.
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From the moment they are born, pygmy babies show a rate of growth like no other.
In general, babies begin teething at two months, walk at four months, and are amazingly able to say about 150 words before they are a year old.
This rapid development allows pygmy children to become sexually mature by the age of seven or eight, and by the age of about ten, they must leave their parents and live independently in small thatched huts that are separated.
At this stage, parents will hold a solemn ceremony for them to mark their official entry into adulthood.
Boys and girls have different rites of passage, each with its own specific traditions and responsibilities.
At the age of about ten, boys are asked to leave their families and follow a respected elder into the forest for a month of independent living as their adult education, Xi hunting skills and increase resilience.
They were taught not to be tired in the forest, no matter what difficulties they encountered.
This kind of education is not limited to moral and ethical education, but also intellectual education.
For girls, the rite of passage consists of a traditional ritual called "Irima".
When experiencing the first menstrual period, the girl goes into a special shed and lives with the other female partners for a month.
During this month, they celebrate the "joyful things" of being adult women together and are taught how to be a mother by an older, respected female relative.
They learn Xi songs and lifestyles of adult women, and it is a joyous occasion and a time of celebration for the whole community.
What's even more special is that when the girls sing inside the Irema House, the single boys outside the house will also respond with singing, hoping to attract their attention.
If a girl is interested in a boy, she will take advantage of a "struggle" to walk out of the house of Irima, whipping the man she loves.
This ritual sometimes leads to the conclusion of a marriage.
The Pygmy marriage system is predominantly monogamous, but polygamy also exists, such as sisterhood or brotherhood.
When choosing a spouse, it is the man's responsibility to find one of his female relatives in order to enter into an "exchange marriage" with a single man in the bride's family.
They also intermarry with non-Pygmies from nearby villages, in which case the groom is required to offer gifts to his father-in-law, such as a sangdu, arrows, and bows.
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Despite the intense interest of pygmies in academia, it is a daunting task to actually reach them.
Their villages are hidden in almost isolated forests, and even the slightest hint of an animal can be a clever set up by the pygmies.
Therefore, finding their traces requires careful observation and the help of locals.
Before preparing to visit, it is necessary to communicate through the local natives or merchants, as the pygmies will quickly disappear into the woods as soon as a stranger approaches.
Their path to the village is extremely hidden, and the only path is a hidden path formed by their daily walking.
In 1865, two explorers traveled through a dense jungle and stumbled upon a group of isolated indigenous people, known as pygmies.
The encounter was a great shock to the two explorers, who were amazed at how the tribe could survive in such a harsh environment, but also curious about their culture and way of life.
The pygmies are a group of people based on clans, they do not have the concept of private property, and everything is shared and distributed with tribes as the core.
This way of life reflects the characteristics of early human communism, where a dozen or even dozens of families gather into tribes, large and small, but share the fruits of their labor.
Their leader is responsible for distributing the "spoils" equally, ensuring that the basic needs of each member are met.
This people's lack of awareness of the concepts of words, numbers, and time reveals a simple and real state of life in the light of age.
Experts estimate that the average life expectancy of a Pygmy is between 30 and 40 years.
When someone dies, they adopt the method of sky burial, and do not build a grave for the deceased, but choose to leave this land full of sorrow and continue their nomadic life.
Despite the harsh living conditions, the Pygmies enjoy their way of life, self-sufficient, happy and free.
In the past, their clothing was made from nature-given materials, with plantain leaves and palm leaves becoming their basic garments.
However, with the increase in social contact with the outside world, especially the arrival of tourists, their clothing has gradually changed.
Unable to make their own clothes, Pygmies began to wear clothes given by tourists, a change that not only broadened their horizons, but also affected their cultural identity to some extent.
In addition to this, the pygmies loved to decorate themselves, and they wore necklaces and bracelets made of elephant bones, beetles, antelope horns, and turtle shells.
Pygmy women take the decorative arts to the extreme, drawing geometric shapes on their faces with a liquid mixed with wild fruit and milk, not only to beautify themselves, but also to expel evil spirits and misfortunes, and to place hopes for good fortune and beauty.
In terms of food, the Xi of the Pygmies are equally unique.
They do not farm, but rely on hunting and gathering for their livelihood, and despite their small stature, the pygmies have an astonishing appetite, eating up to 60 bananas in a single meal and eating large amounts of meat.
They had a high demand for table salt, which was extremely scarce in the forests, so merchants would use it to exchange supplies with them.
Termites are one of the cherished foods of the Pygmy people, who believe that this insect is good for their health.
They are familiar with the Xi of termites, and before the rainy season, they will quickly catch the termites in the holes, and in the deep forests of Africa without rain, the story of the Pygmies is like a hidden treasure, waiting to be discovered.
With its unique culture and way of life, this ancient people resisted all kinds of temptations from the outside world and the tide of modern civilization, and insisted on their free and simple life.
1. "Son of the Forest" Pygmy — The Shortest Man in the World, World Knowledge, 1980.
2. Pygmies, Sons of the African Forest, Environment, 2011.
3. Little-known Primitive Nationalities and Cultures, Minzu University of China Press, 1999.
4. Africa's endangered "pocket people" pygmies, Nature Exploration, 2009.