A Swiss led team of archaeologists has discovered pieces of the oldest African pottery in central Mali, dating back to at least 9,400 BC.
The sensational find by Geneva University's Eric Huysecom and his international research team, at Ounjougou near the UNESCO listed Bandiagara cliffs, reveals important information about man's interaction with nature.
The age of the sediment in which they were found suggests that the six ceramic fragments discovered between 2002 and 2005 are at least 11,400 years old. Most ancient ceramics from the Middle East and the central and eastern Sahara regions are 10,000 and between 9-10,000 years old, respectively.
"At the beginning, the very first piece we found stayed in my desk drawer for years, as I didn't realise how old it was," Huysecom told swissinfo.
Huysecom heads a 50 strong interdisciplinary team, composed of 28 international researchers mainly from Germany, Mali, Switzerland, France and Britain on the largest current archaeological research project in Africa, entitled "Human population and paleo-environment in West Africa".
Ounjougou during the rainy season.
Ounjougou was selected as the location, "as everything led us to believe that there we could follow the evolution of man, the environment and the climate", explained Huysecom.
The site is an archaeologist's dream, a ravine made up of layers of easy-to-date sediment rich in West African history.
Significant findings
Since the launch of the project in 1997, the team has made numerous discoveries about ancient stone cutting techniques and tools, and other important findings that shed light on human development in the region.
But the unearthing of the ancient fragments of burnt clay is one of the most significant to date. Huysecom is convinced that pottery was invented in West Africa to enable man to adapt to climate change.
"Apart from finding the oldest ceramic in Africa, the interesting thing is that it gives us information about when and under what circumstances man can invent new things, such as pottery," he explained.
"And the invention of ceramic is linked to specific environmental conditions the transformation of the region from desert into grassland."
Grasslands
Some 10,000 years ago, at the end of the ice age, the climate is thought to have fluctuated between warm and cold periods. This led to the formation of an 800 kilometre wide band of tropical vegetation extending northwards from the Sahel region, which attracted people who slowly moved north from southern and central Africa.
Wild grasses and pearl millet started sprouting on the former desert land. But for man to be able to eat and properly digest the new plants, they had to be stored and cooked in pots.
"Man had to adapt his food and way of life by inventing pottery," said the Geneva professor.
The invention of ceramic also coincided with that of small arrowheads also discovered by the team and which were probably used to hunt hares, pheasants and other small game on the grassy plains.
To date, East Asia the triangle between Siberia, China and Japan is the only other area where similar pottery and arrowheads have been found which are as old as those in West Africa, explained Huysecom.
"This is important, as they both appear in same way, at the same time and under similar climatic conditions, which indicates that man has certain modes of adaptation to cope with environmental changes," he commented.
Ahead of the final publication of the team's research findings this year, Huysecom is returning to Ounjougou to rejoin his colleagues, in particular those from West Africa "who are extremely proud of the discovery".
He plans to scour the region for caves and other settlement sites to try and find out exactly where the pottery came from so as to determine more precisely the age of the fragments.
"We know [from the sediment] that they are at least 11,400 years old, but they could be 50 or even 1,000 years older."
-------------------------------------
A cultural flow, from the southeast of Subsaharan Africa and to the Sahara, could explain the diffusion of the microlithic industries all the way through West Africa. We observe them initially in Cameroon at Shum Laka (30,600-29,000 BC), then at the Ivory Coast in Bingerville (14,100-13,400 BC), in Nigeria in Iwo Eleru (11,460-11,050 BC), and finally in Ounjougou (phase 1, 10th millennium BC).
posted
Great find. Caution though, because sub-Saharan Africa is usually a victim of 'diffusionist' theories, just like in the case of the working of "iron" in West Africa, which were later found to be even older than those in the Nile Valley.
Posts: 5964 | Registered: Jan 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
Key points to grasp for the African scholar:
To date, East Asia the triangle between Siberia, China and Japan is the only other area where similar pottery and arrowheads have been found which are as old as those in West Africa, explained Huysecom.
Here's the point: agriculture was invented in Africa in at least three centers, and maybe even four. In Africa, you find the earliest domestication of cattle. The location, the pottery and other materials we've found makes it likely that happened among the Nilo-Saharan peoples, the sites are in southern Egypt. There is an exceptionally strong correlation between archaeology and language on this issue. - Chrisopher Ehret
Pottery is several thousand years older in Africa than the 'middle east'.
Pottery possibly spread from West Central Africa to inner East Africa and Upper Nile Valley, and from there to the lower nile Valley, the Levantine corridor and Europe.
Posts: 15202 | Registered: Jun 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Mali Relics Recovered in France Tuesday, 30 January 2007 BBC
French customs officials say they have seized more than 650 ancient artefacts smuggled from Mali in one of the largest such finds at a Paris airport.
Described as an "archaeological treasure", the objects were thought to be on their way to private US buyers.
Experts say most of the items are from the Neolithic period, but some may be up to one million years old.
The artefacts are thought to have been taken from archaeological sites on the edge of the Sahara desert.
The 669 items - 601 stones and 68 bracelets - were confiscated on 19 January at Charles de Gaulle airport and included axe heads, flintstones and stone rings.
Most of the artefacts date from a few thousand years BC. But others are from the Acheulean period, between one million years and 200,000 years old, and from the Middle Stone Age (200,000 years BC to 20,000 years BC). (Full article here)
.
Posts: 1549 | From: California, USA | Registered: Jan 2006
| IP: Logged |
posted
***Great find. Caution though, because sub-Saharan Africa is usually a victim of 'diffusionist' theories, just like in the case of the working of "iron" in West Africa, which were later found to be even older than those in the Nile Valley.***
What do you mean by diffusionist theories?
Posts: 141 | Registered: Oct 2006
| IP: Logged |
posted
Thanks Myra for this article. You are always catching the good stuff.
Posts: 1115 | From: GOD Bless the USA | Registered: May 2006
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by MyRedCow: Thanks Myra for this article. You are always catching the good stuff.
Thanks. I have a passion for this kind of history.
.
Its good to see that, I've learned so much from and matured alot, thanks for the info.
Posts: 2596 | From: Vicksburg | Registered: Feb 2006
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by tutemkasret: ***Great find. Caution though, because sub-Saharan Africa is usually a victim of 'diffusionist' theories, just like in the case of the working of "iron" in West Africa, which were later found to be even older than those in the Nile Valley.***
What do you mean by diffusionist theories?
There are two theories about how civilizations begin. Diffusionist theories and Isolationist theories. Diffusionism is the idea that a civilization was substancially-influenced by one or more foreign cultures. This is very true for most world powers in history like America, Greece, Rome, etc. To a certain degree, ALL civilizations have certain levels of diffusion.
Isolationism is the idea that a culture was brought about in of itself. With little to no influence from any foreign entity. This is what many classical historians said about Ancient Greece before that theory was challenged by Martin Bernal and some others.
Then, you have the extremes of both theories. The most obvious extreme (which is very much seen on this site) is Hyper-Diffusionism. One example on this board is by the likes of Clyde Winters and his Mande Supermen!! Another is Marc Washington. Hyper-Diffusionism was applied by many historians of old whenever someone would come across a site in Africa that showed signs of advanced development. They would make up baseless theories about lost white tribes and heavy Arab influences. Now, ISLAM has had a tremendous effect on parts of Africa (well most of Africa now). This is seen in how Mali became a Muslim nation, the Arabic invasion of North Africa, etc. But many of the problems Medieval Africa had with Islam came against BLACK Muslims who had converted...and not always Arabs.
Posts: 1219 | From: North Carolina, USA | Registered: Jul 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
the diffusionist theories are those that try to put the development of culture and civilization in "sub-saharan" Africa in the hands of foreigners, either Semitic nomads or Eurasian North Africans. Just like steel was made in Africa prior to Egypt, so to did many of the other aspects of Egyptian culture derive from a common African cultural background found throughout Africa.
Posts: 8897 | Registered: May 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
There are two theories about how civilizations begin. Diffusionist theories and Isolationist theories. Diffusionism is the idea that a civilization was substancially-influenced by one or more foreign cultures. This is very true for most world powers in history like America, Greece, Rome, etc. To a certain degree, ALL civilizations have certain levels of diffusion.
Isolationism is the idea that a culture was brought about in of itself. With little to no influence from any foreign entity. This is what many classical historians said about Ancient Greece before that theory was challenged by Martin Bernal and some others.
Then, you have the extremes of both theories. The most obvious extreme (which is very much seen on this site) is Hyper-Diffusionism. One example on this board is by the likes of Clyde Winters and his Mande Supermen!! Another is Marc Washington. Hyper-Diffusionism was applied by many historians of old whenever someone would come across a site in Africa that showed signs of advanced development. They would make up baseless theories about lost white tribes and heavy Arab influences. Now, ISLAM has had a tremendous effect on parts of Africa (well most of Africa now). This is seen in how Mali became a Muslim nation, the Arabic invasion of North Africa, etc. But many of the problems Medieval Africa had with Islam came against BLACK Muslims who had converted...and not always Arabs.
quote:
LOL!!!!! This was actually very informative and funny as well you are alright man!!! Thanks lol
Posts: 141 | Registered: Oct 2006
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Doug M: the diffusionist theories are those that try to put the development of culture and civilization in "sub-saharan" Africa in the hands of foreigners, either Semitic nomads or Eurasian North Africans. Just like steel was made in Africa prior to Egypt, so to did many of the other aspects of Egyptian culture derive from a common African cultural background found throughout Africa.
Diffusionism doesn't JUST deal with Africa.
Posts: 1219 | From: North Carolina, USA | Registered: Jul 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
^Examples pertaining specifically to 'sub-Saharan' Africans, is when folks try to attribute their accomplishments to the Nile Valley, coastal North Africa or extra-African territories.
Posts: 5964 | Registered: Jan 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
I tire of the attempts of many works, texts, and pages to deny, mitigate, denigrate, attribute to elsewhere, or un-necessarily insinuate a later date
when it comes to early African achievement. Many people and texts aimlessly and baselessly parrot claims (may I remind you, with no basis) that this or that in Africa is attributed to that, or came after this. or that.
quote:
quote:tutemkasret: What do you mean by diffusionist theories?=
Theories stating that the origin from somewhere else, I think.
The AFRICAN GAP DOCTRINE: After examining the first humans hundreds of thousands of years ago, this historical approach completely skips over most of the African archaeological record. It discusses ancient Egypt but ascribes its civilization to "the Middle East," denying its African identity and archaeological connections with Saharan and southern Nilotic civilizations. Saharan civilization, Ile-Ife or Mwanamutapa are not discussed at all. Africa is simply dropped from historical consideration until the era of European slaving and colonization, when it is portrayed as culturally and technologically deficient. The existence of female spheres of power in Africa is ignored.Posts: 26293 | From: Atlanta, Georgia, USA | Registered: Feb 2005
| IP: Logged |
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
Printer-friendly view of this topic