On the Margins of Ghana and Kawkaw: Four Seasons of Excavation at Tongo Maaré Diabal (AD 500-1150), Mali

Gestrich, Nikolas; MacDonald, Katherine

doi:10.1163/21915784-20180001

Cited by 17 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…In the Seno Plain around Sangha, diversified agriculture, fishing, hunting, and herding are possible, while around Douentza the most common economic activities are herding and limited pearl‐millet monoculture. Archeological evidence from the nearby site of Tongo Maaré Diabal, comprising largely medium‐sized bovids (probably sheep) and cattle and pearl millet, suggests that similar diets with more animal products and C 4 grains were consumed in the past (Bedaux et al, ; Gestrich & MacDonald, ). This would explain the higher δ 13 C and δ 15 N values from Nokara B.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This research led to the definition of a three‐phase chrono‐cultural sequence: Toloy (3rd–4th century BC), Tellem (11th–16th century AD), and Dogon (post 16th century AD) (Bedaux, , ; Bedaux et al, ). Between 1993 and 1996, excavations of a stratified settlement site, Tongo Maaré Diabal, near Douentza, partly filled the chronological gap between the Toloy and Tellem phases by showing occupation dating between the 6th and 12th centuries AD (Gestrich & MacDonald, ; MacDonald, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Faunal remains indicate a dominance of domesticated animals, though wild species were also exploited. The most important resources were bovids (50–75% of the assemblage), followed by fish, dogs, and birds (Gestrich & MacDonald, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Dlamini

Sealy

Mayor

2019

American J Phys Anthropol

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Aims and Objectives: This article reports on diet variability in the Dogon Country (Mali) through a bio-archeological study of pre-Dogon and early Dogon human remains (7th century to 19th century AD) from collective burial caves in the Bandiagara Escarpment.Materials and Methods: Two hundred and twenty crania from collections curated in Leiden, Paris, and Bamako were studied for dental diseases. In a subset of teeth (n = 175), δ 13 C and δ 15 N were measured in bulk dentine samples.Results: δ 13 C and δ 15 N values vary widely (−15.4 to −6.0‰ for δ 13 C, 6.0-14.8‰ for δ 15 N, n = 175), and indicate diets dominated by C 4 -based foods with a focus on plants;animal products played a minor role. There are significant differences between the δ 13 C values from older (pre-Dogon) and younger (Dogon) periods. Frequencies of caries, antemortem tooth loss, and abscesses increase significantly through time. Individuals from northern caves have more positive δ 13 C and δ 15 N values than southern ones. Discussion and Conclusions: The temporal shifts are probably due to progressive diversification of foods, consistent with archeological evidence showing the addition of rice and vegetables to pearl millet. The geographical disparity is explained by a combination of climatic, environmental, and cultural factors. Last, intersite differences imply that different communities (or subsections thereof) disposed of their dead in different caves.Based on a large sample extending over a wider area and longer time frame than previous work, our study shows that diets in the Dogon Country were neither uniform nor continuous through time, as previously proposed. Our results attest to a complex history of settlement and foodways. K E Y W O R D Scarbon and nitrogen isotopes, dental caries, Dogon Country, Mali, West Africa

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Dlamini

Sealy

Mayor

2019

American J Phys Anthropol

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“…The continued loss of suitable landscapes in northern latitudes, and the subsequent southward movement of populations, likely encouraged an increase in interaction between previously separate groups. At Tongo Maaré Diabal in Mali, for instance, Gestrich () identified two concurrent ceramic traditions, differing substantially in both décor and formation technique, likely representing two “different cultural spheres” existing at the settlement (Gestrich & MacDonald, , p. 26). Interestingly, each of these traditions is in turn linked to regions further afield, namely the Malian Lakes Region and Gourma, suggesting sustained contact across various regions of Mali had already developed by this point (Gestrich & MacDonald, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…At Tongo Maaré Diabal in Mali, for instance, Gestrich () identified two concurrent ceramic traditions, differing substantially in both décor and formation technique, likely representing two “different cultural spheres” existing at the settlement (Gestrich & MacDonald, , p. 26). Interestingly, each of these traditions is in turn linked to regions further afield, namely the Malian Lakes Region and Gourma, suggesting sustained contact across various regions of Mali had already developed by this point (Gestrich & MacDonald, ). Such cosmopolitanism can be found elsewhere throughout the region (i.e., MacEachern, ; van Doosselaere, ), and would continue to define many communities up to the modern period.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A fluid past: Socio‐hydrological systems of the West African Sahel across the long durée

Coutros

2019

WIREs Water

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Since the end of the last glacial period (~12.4 ka bp) the African continent has undergone no less than 30 dramatic climate transitions. West Africa in particular witnessed abrupt climate oscillations-between humid optima and hyper-aridity-which lasted anywhere between 10 and 15 years and a millennium. Such unpredictable shifts forced local communities to develop a suite of risk-buffering strategies that could withstand climate change on various scales. Both archeological and palaeoclimatic research has begun to reveal how these societies engaged with their erratic environment over the span of the Holocene. The adoption of pastoral lifeways, the domestication of cereal crops, and the emergence of monumentality or urbanism may indeed be viewed through the lens of environmental risk-buffering strategies. Yet, these developments proceeded along trajectories that belie traditional narratives rooted in environmental determinism and underscore the unique cultural processes at play, which do not conform to presumptions imported from outside regions. Revised narratives, therefore, must take into account cultural perceptions of climate change, and the localized nature of landscape.

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Nitrogen isotope values of Pennisetum glaucum (pearl millet) grains: towards a reconstruction of past cultivation conditions in the Sahel, West Africa

Styring

Diop²,

Bogaard

et al. 2019

Veget Hist Archaeobot

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The nitrogen isotopic composition of charred wheat and barley grains reflect manuring intensity and have been used to reconstruct manuring practices at archaeological sites across Europe and western Asia. To assess whether this analytical method can be applied to a staple crop in the West African Sahel, pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum), the nitrogen isotope value of pearl millet grains in this region were determined and the effect of charring ascertained. Pearl millet ears were collected from fields in northeast Senegal, where the fertilisation histories of the plots (manure and/or household waste) were known. The nitrogen isotope values of these millet grains provide an insight into the values to expect for pearl millet grains grown with low-moderate addition of manure/household waste in a similar climate. Charring of grains by heating at 215-260°C for 4-24 hours increases the nitrogen isotope values of pearl millet grains by a maximum of 0.34‰. In light of these modern data, the nitrogen isotope values of millet grains recovered from the archaeological settlement mound of Tongo Maaré Diabal, Mali can be interpreted as evidence for modest levels of manure/household waste input throughout the occupation of the site from cal A.D. 500-1150. This study demonstrates the potential for nitrogen isotope values of pearl millet grains to shed light on past farming practices in West Africa.

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On the Margins of Ghana and Kawkaw: Four Seasons of Excavation at Tongo Maaré Diabal (AD 500-1150), Mali

Cited by 17 publications

References 25 publications

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

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

A fluid past: Socio‐hydrological systems of the West African Sahel across the long durée

Nitrogen isotope values of Pennisetum glaucum (pearl millet) grains: towards a reconstruction of past cultivation conditions in the Sahel, West Africa

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