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Difficulty: EasyMnemonic Devices and Record Keeping

Which group within the Luba society is specifically trained to read and interpret the *lukasa* (memory board) to recall royal history and validate political authority?

  1. A
    Shamanic specialists who drive metal nails into the board to resolve disputes
  2. B
    Master navigators who use the board to map regional waterway currents
  3. The Mbudye SocietyAnswer
  4. D
    Female weavers who create the boards as currency for marital exchange

Answer

The Mbudye Society
The correct answer is the Mbudye Society. They are an elite association of Luba historians and court officials trained to interpret the beads, shells, and metal pins of the lukasa. The board serves as a mnemonic device to recall genealogies, state organization, and migration stories, helping to validate the ruler's political legitimacy.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the culture and art object mentioned in the stem.
The object is the lukasa (memory board) from the Luba peoples of Central Africa.
Understanding the cultural origin allows us to narrow down the correct societal group and function.
2
Determine the primary function of the lukasa.
The lukasa is a mnemonic device used to record and recite oral history, lineages, and political laws.
This identifies what the object does conceptually.
3
Associate the object with the specific class of people responsible for its reading.
Only members of the Mbudye Society are trained to decode the tactile elements (beads and shells) of the board.
This selects the correct societal group, matching the correct option.

Key Concept

The role of the Mbudye Society in reading and interpreting Luba lukasa memory boards to preserve oral histories and political legitimacy.
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Topics

Mnemonic Devices and Record Keeping

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