This study provides a systematic anthropological analysis of hunter-gatherer societies in Central Africa, with particular emphasis on rainforest-dwelling groups commonly referred to in older literature as 'Pygmy' populations. Stefan Seitz examines their social organization, economic systems, and ecological adaptation within the equatorial forest environment. The work situates these societies within broader anthropological debates on subsistence, marginality, and cultural transformation, and highlights their historical and ongoing interactions with neighboring agricultural populations. It also addresses processes of social change, dependency, and integration into regional economic systems. The book is structured as an ethnological monograph combining theoretical discussion with empirical observations drawn from field research and secondary literature. The opening chapters outline the conceptual frameworks used in the anthropology of hunter-gatherers, including historical classification systems and earlier ethnographic interpretations of Central African forest populations. Subsequent sections provide detailed descriptions of various groups, focusing on subsistence strategies, mobility patterns, food procurement techniques, and kinship-based social organization. Particular attention is given to ecological adaptation within rainforest environments and the ways in which these societies manage resource availability in highly variable ecological conditions. Further chapters examine the relationships between hunter-gatherer groups and neighboring farming communities, including forms of exchange, dependency, and cultural interaction. The book also explores broader processes of acculturation, socio-economic transformation, and the impact of external pressures on traditional lifeways.