The vestiges of military architecture in Foumban (Cameroon)

Abstract

Foumban, the historic capital of the Bamum Kingdom and the Noun Department (West Cameroon), is the result of a long process in which war played a significant role. To protect the kingdom's core from an impending invasion, a defensive system was gradually built, eventually becoming a symbolic boundary. With the demographic boom and the search for arable land, the fortifications were gradually dismantled and replaced by plantations, sidelining heritage conservation. This paper traces the steps leading to the expansion of Foumban and demonstrates how demographic pressure influenced the degradation of the fortifications. It employs a holistic-systemic approach, combining interviews, field observations, ministerial data, and remote sensing to analyze land use changes.

The results show that territorial and agricultural transformations led to the progressive erosion of heritage, raising questions about its preservation and its potential contribution to the transformation of productive and social structures.