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An archaeological study of Southern Bénin, exploring caves, palaces, geology, burials, iron and ceramics.
Includes primary information and uncovers a wealth of dense description and images
Provides a much-needed study of Southern Bénin where the discipline of archaeology is still in its emerging state
The objectives of research were formulated in a simple manner: for whom, why, and when were the caves created? When a phone rang at the Department of Archaeology, University of Copenhagen in the summer of 1998 it was in fact heralding a novel development in West African and European archaeology. A voice informed that Danish road constructors had stumbled across some mysterious holes in Bénin and - at the instigation of the Patrimony of Bénin - requested specialists to investigate. From a West African regional perspective, Bénin, along with Togo, remains in a dire state in terms of archaeological research and so this first, and subsequent studies, have uncovered a wealth of dense description and images. These volumes are really a "first", and primary information cannot be ignored. Since the discipline of archaeology is still in its emerging state in Bénin, indeed in all West Africa, with no conventions on terminology or chronology, it was decided to focus on data, then on implications. Exploring caves, palaces, geology, burials, iron and ceramics, these volumes provide a much-needed archaeology study of Southern Bénin. The objectives of research were formulated in a simple manner: for whom, why, and when were the caves created?
Inhaltsverzeichnis
VOLUME 1.
Preface.
Introduction.
Part I. Southern Bénin.
Chapter 1. Geology, Soils, and Climate: Geography.
Chapter 2. Ancient West Africa: Archaeology and History.
Chapter 3. Dahomean Kingdom: Sources.
Chapter 4. Abomey: Sources and Strategies.
Chapter 5. Palaces: Dahomey.
Part II. Archaeology Around Abomey-Bohicon.
Chapter 6. Previous Archaeological Work.
Chapter 7. Caves/Souterrains: Subterranean Structures as African Phenomena.
Chapter 8. Burials: Introduction.
Part III. Before Dahomey.
Chapter 9. Ceramics: Theoretical Background.
Chapter 10. Sodohomé: Sodohomé Channels.
Chapter 11. Roots of Abomey: Below the Rampart.
Chapter 12. Pottery Between 1300 and 1600 AD: Iron Production Sites.
Part IV. Dahomey.
Chapter 13. Ceramics: Moat of Abomey.
Part V. Iron.
Chapter 14. Iron Technologies: From Ore to Slag.
Chapter 15. Iron Production Sites: Iron Ore Mining Sites in Bénin.
Part VI. Historical Interpretation.
Chapter 16. Conclusions: General Summary.
Résumé En Français.
Bibliography.
VOLUME 2.
Part VII. Documentation.
Catalogue 1. Palaces: List of Royal Palaces and Compounds.
Catalogue 2. List of Caves.
Catalogue 3. List of Iron Production Sites.
Appendix 1. Analyses of Iron Samples.
Appendix 2. Report of 1904 on Traditional Iron Production.
Appendix 3. Sodohomé Lithics.
Appendix 4. Queens's Market, Abomey.
Appendix 5. Grinding Sites.
Part VIII. Plates.
Über den Autor / die Autorin
Klavs Randsborg and Inga Merkyte both lecture in the Archaeology Department, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Professor Randsborg is the Editor of Acta Archaeologica. Founded in 1930, the journal is the leading scientific international archaeological periodical in Scandinavia. It publishes full presentations of important new discoveries, archaeological analyses, and general and interdisciplinary studies with an archaeological basis.
