L’évolution hydromorphologique de la vallée du Yamé (Pays Dogon, Mali) : signal climatique et hydrosystème continental en Afrique de l’Ouest entre 50 et 4 ka cal. BP

Lespez, Laurent; Rassé, Michel; Drezen, Yann Le; Tribolo, Chantal; Huysecom, Éric; Ballouche, Aziz

doi:10.4000/geomorphologie.7053

Cited by 18 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…A criteria based on the saturation level of the OSL signal has thus been used following recent recommendations by Thomsen et al (2016), in order to discard the grains which were unable to properly record the equivalent doses. As for the chronological results presented here, two points must be highlighted: 1) the stratigraphic sequence of the Falémé Valley covers the vast majority of the Upper Pleistocene period and 2) MIS 2 seems to be particularly well preserved contrary to what has been observed at Ounjougou in particular (Huysecom, 2002;Huysecom et al, 2007;Lespez et al, 2008;Soriano et al, 2010aSoriano et al, , 2010bRasse et al, 2012;Tribolo et al, 2015). Further dating works will tend to confirm and specify the first chrono-cultural framework outlined here.…”

Section: Ages and Discussionsupporting

confidence: 49%

“…Meanwhile, this shows that the geomorphological process of the Valley was favorable to the conservation of numerous formations. This is of primary importance for future archaeological and palaeoclimatic studies and we can expect to track palaeoclimatic oscillations and events from the MIS 5 to the MIS 2 as in Ounjougou (Lespez et al, 2008). The record of layer within MIS 2 must also be highlighted.…”

Section: Ages and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

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Establishing a West African chrono-cultural framework: First luminescence dating of sedimentary formations from the Falémé Valley, Eastern Senegal

Lebrun

Tribolo

Chevrier

et al. 2016

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports

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Section: Ages and Discussionsupporting

confidence: 49%

Section: Ages and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Establishing a West African chrono-cultural framework: First luminescence dating of sedimentary formations from the Falémé Valley, Eastern Senegal

Lebrun

Tribolo

Chevrier

et al. 2016

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports

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“…Below HA3 and HA2, unit HA1 is 2-5m thick and consists of several sequences composed of red to ochre cross-bedded coarse sand and gravel with grey Pleistocene silt blocks, suggesting high-energy flows running through a braided river (Lespez et al 2008). The phytolith samples in HA1 are very poor, due to the low amount of silt, and are therefore not interpretable in terms of the vegetation during this period.…”

Section: The Ha1 Formation (Before 9400 Cal Bc)mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Under HA3, unit HA2 is composed of silty sandy alluvial sediments with grey Pleistocene silty blocks, particularly at the base of the unit (HA2/a-b), which indicates an important incision of the meandering river and river bank erosion into the Pleistocene deposits (Lespez et al 2008). These alluvial sediments experienced a slight pedogenesis, particularly visible in the upper part of the unit (HA2/c-d).…”

Section: The Ha2 Formation (9000-9400 Cal Bc)mentioning

confidence: 99%

The emergence of pottery in Africa during the tenth millennium cal BC: new evidence from Ounjougou (Mali)

Huysecom¹,

Rassé²,

Lespez³

et al. 2009

Antiquity

104

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Recent fieldwork at the site Ravin de la Mouche at Ounjougou (Dogon Country, Mali) sheds new light on sub-Saharan Africa at the Pleistocene-Holocene transition, a region and a period of crucial significance for the understanding of African prehistory. At Ravin de la Mouche, a technological complex was found with ceramics and an associated original lithic industry in a stratigraphic context which, since September 2007, is well-dated and can be interpreted in palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental terms. These new data add to the scenario for the emergence of pottery during the 10th Millennium calBC and to establish a An early emergence of pottery in Asia and AfricaArchaeological research reveals that in Japan, Siberia and China, prehistoric populations first began to produce ceramic ware between 15,000 and 10,000 calBC, more than five thousand years earlier than in the Near East (Yasuda 2002: 119-142; Kuzmin 2006). The emergence of pottery in Asia is linked with the climatic amelioration at the Pleistocene-Holocene transition and coincides with the appearance of lithic industries marked by distinctive small bifacial arrowheads (Habu 2004: 26-36). This technological complex is usually regarded as an expression of the intensified exploitation of plant and animal resources, often including smallseeded grasses (Richerson et al. 2001).In Africa, the earliest pottery has been found in the large mountain massifs of the Central Sahara, in the Eastern Sahara and the Nile valley. About 30 14 C and luminescence dates place the emergence of ceramics in the Sahara and the Nile valley between the end of the 10th millennium and the beginning of the 9th millennium calBC (Close 1995: 24-27, Roset 2000, Jesse 2003: 40-42, Haaland 2007. This is related to the sudden onset of a warmer and wetter climate in the Early Holocene that enabled the re-settling of the Sahara after the hyperarid phase of the last glacial maximum, the "Ogolien" (Nelson et al. 2002: 97-99). The origin of the earliest African pottery is controversial and has been much discussed, with three hypothetical scenarios proposed. The first theory places the emergence of ceramics in the Nile Valley, based principally on the earliness of the exploitation of aquatic resources and wild cereals in this region (Haaland 1992: 47). The second suggests an origin somewhere south of the Sahara (Close 1995: 23), but until recently, the oldest finds of sub-Saharan ceramics were only dated to the 8 th millennium calBC, both at Lothagam in Kenya (Robbins 1974), and in the Ravin du Hibou at Ounjougou in Mali, for phase II of its Holocene occupation sequence (Huysecom et al. 2004: 584). A third assumes that pottery was invented by relict populations who had survived in ecological refuge zones of the Sahara during the hyperarid Late The HA4 formation (6,700 -8,100 calBC) The Early Holocene sequence at Ounjougou and ceramics associatedThe most recent formation, HA4, of fine-grained particle size and particularly well-developed in the Ravin du Hibou, has yielded artefacts from cultural...

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“…In the mid 1930's, a sudden diversion in the course of the river Yamé induced a deep incision of the Holocene and Pleistocene sediments, revealing an important archaeological potential (Lespez et al 2008;Rasse et al 2006). Nowadays, evidences of occupations from the Paleolithic, Neolithic and Protohistoric periods appear along the thousands of meters of natural profiles, sometimes more than 10 meters high (Huysecom et al 2004;Rasse et al 2004;Soriano et al 2010).…”

Section: Geographic and Geological Framework Of Ounjougou Complexmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Early Stone Age in Western Africa? Spheroids and polyhedrons at Ounjougou, Mali

Weyer¹

2017

JLS

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Ounjougou stratigraphic sequence (Bandiagara, Dogon Country, Mali) is the most complete record in Western Africa for the Middle Pleistocene. This paper focuses on the lithic industry unearthed in the lowest levels of the sequence. Despite the impossibility to fix the dating of those layers, the assemblage clearly presents Oldowan features. A strong erosive process, combined to the absence of Acheulean industry, strengthens the idea of a probable ancient age for the lithic industry. Morphometric, Technological and techno-functional approaches were performed to study sandstone polyhedrons, spheroids and bolas, abundant in the collection, along with a flake production on quartz and quartzite pebbles. This study demonstrates that polyhedrons, spheroids and bolas were shaped from independent chaînes opératoires to realize specific tasks. The hypothesis of opportunistic knapping does not fit with these materials at Ounjougou. The evidence of shaping is highlighted by diacritic schemes showing that the flakes detached are not controlled for their usability, but for shaping the morphology of the spheroid. Apart from those polyhedrons and spheroids, flake production is also identified. While the shaping process is made on sandstone cobbles, sharp flakes are produced from quartz pebbles. This clear choice of different raw materials to produce shaped heavy tools in one hand and light flake tools in another hand strengthens the idea of a deliberate shaping of spheroid tools. The discussion compares this assemblage with other known assemblages like Ain Hanech and Olducai Gorge. Our point focus on the methodology used to study these specific artefacts, very different from one author to another. We stress out the fact that using the term ‘polyhedron’ is not accurate to define artefacts that can refer to shape tools or multifacial cores. We suggest to avoid using it and to focus on a technical identification to name the artefacts as cores or tools. The technological and techno-functional approaches are relevant to make this distinction. Then we propose some hypothesis about the use of spheroid and bolas and suggest experiments and traceological analyses in the future to confirm their functionality. Ounjougou lithic tool kit, composed of flake débitage, retouched flakes and shaped tools on pebbles, along with the spheroids and bolas component, gives an evidence of a diversified tool kit corresponding to the Oldowan Industrial Complex, and then represents the first Early Stone Age site in stratigraphy in Western Africa.

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L’évolution hydromorphologique de la vallée du Yamé (Pays Dogon, Mali) : signal climatique et hydrosystème continental en Afrique de l’Ouest entre 50 et 4 ka cal. BP

Abstract: Abridged English versionThe Yame is the main stream flowing across the Bandiagara sandstone plateau in the Dogon district ( fig. 1 and fig. 2 Géomorphologie : relief, processus, environnement, 2008, n°3, p

Cited by 18 publications

References 30 publications

Establishing a West African chrono-cultural framework: First luminescence dating of sedimentary formations from the Falémé Valley, Eastern Senegal

Establishing a West African chrono-cultural framework: First luminescence dating of sedimentary formations from the Falémé Valley, Eastern Senegal

The emergence of pottery in Africa during the tenth millennium cal BC: new evidence from Ounjougou (Mali)

An Early Stone Age in Western Africa? Spheroids and polyhedrons at Ounjougou, Mali

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