Geochemical identity of pre-Dogon and Dogon populations at Bandiagara (Mali, 11th–20th cent. AD)

Abstract

Bone geochemistry of pre-Dogon (11th-16th cent. AD) and Dogon (17th-20th cent. AD) populations buried in two caves of the Bandiagara Cliff (Mali) was examined for the purpose of exploring their diet and mobility. While the Dogon were the subject of extensive ethnographic studies, the lifestyle of the pre-Dogon, so-called "Tellem" is not known. We therefore compared the geochemical composition of Dogon bones with the results obtained from modern dietary surveys in Mali, to establish the parameters of a dietary model that was further applied to the pre-Dogon in order to expand our knowledge concerning their way of life.The exceptional preservation of the bones of both populations was confirmed not only at the macroscopic scale, but also at the mineralogical, histological and geochemical levels, which resemble those of fresh bones, and therefore offered ideal conditions for testing this approach.The application of the Bayesian mixing model FRUITS, based on bone δ 13 C (apatite and collagen) and bone δ 15 N values, suggested a dietary continuity through time, from the 11th century to today. Bone barium (Ba) content revealed very restricted mobility within the Cliff while bone δ 18 O values indicated that Pre-Dogon and Dogon most likely occupied the Bandiagara Plateau and the Cliff, respectively.

Diet variability among pre‐Dogon and early Dogon populations (Mali) from stable isotopes and dental diseases

“…The most positive values come from two cows ( Bos taurus ) and two West African buffaloes ( Syncerus caffer brachyceros ) and range from −5.3 to −8.4‰, confirming the grazing behavior of these ungulates, which feed almost exclusively on C 4 grasses. These results are comparable to other published values for cows from the region (−7.4 and −7.5‰; Maurer et al, ). All six Caprinae have lower δ 13 C values ranging from −14.3 to −19.6‰, which indicates a substantial amount of C 3 browsing, and suggests that they were probably goats (Balasse & Ambrose, ).…”

“…However, a few measurements of modern specimens of plants eaten by past populations in this region are available from the literature. Pennisetum , Digitaria , and Sorghum have δ 13 C values ranging from −8.6 to −9.5‰ and δ 15 N from 5.1 to 6.6‰ (Maurer et al, ). All these grains follow the C 4 ‐photosynthetic pathway and their δ 15 N values are within expected ranges for these plants.…”

“…All these grains follow the C 4 ‐photosynthetic pathway and their δ 15 N values are within expected ranges for these plants. Modern African rice ( Oryza glaberrima ) had δ 13 C of −25.6‰ and δ 15 N of 4.6‰ (Maurer et al, ). Rice species are C 3 plants (Sage & Zhu, ).…”

“…Isotope studies are no exception to the paucity of research on human remains in West Africa. Apart from two recent studies (Finucane, Manning, & Toure, ; Maurer et al, ), both limited in scope, stable isotope studies have not been done on past people in Mali. Finucane et al () measured δ 13 C and δ 18 O in tooth enamel of fauna and humans from the Tilemsi Valley, but their samples date to the third millennium BC and are therefore much older than the ones we are concerned with here.…”

“…Recently, Maurer et al () analyzed stable isotope ratios and trace element concentrations in 23 individuals from Caves C and H in the Dogon Country in order to investigate diet and mobility of pre‐Dogon and early Dogon people. Using the Bayesian mixing model FRUITS (Fernandes, Millard, Brabec, Nadeau, & Grootes, ), they concluded that the diets of these people remained stable from the 11th century AD to today, and that mobility was restricted to the area close to the escarpment.…”