Egalitarian revolution in the Savanna : the origins of a West African political system / Stephen A. Dueppen.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Dueppen, Stephen A., author.

Series:

Approaches to anthropological archaeology.

Approaches to anthropological archaeology

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Political customs and rites--Africa, West.

Political customs and rites.

Excavations (Archaeology)--Africa, West.

Excavations (Archaeology).

Human settlements--Africa, West--History.

Human settlements.

Archaeology and history--Africa, West.

Archaeology and history.

Africa, West--Antiquities.

Africa, West.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xiv, 344 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Durham : Acumen Publishing, 2012.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Many West African societies have egalitarian political systems, with non-centralised distributions of power. Egalitarian Revolution in the Savanna analyses a wide range of archaeological data to explore the development of such societies. The volume offers a detailed case study of the village settlement of Kirikongo in western Burkina Faso. Over the course of the first millennium, this single homestead extended control over a growing community. The book argues that the decentralization of power in the twelfth century BCE radically transformed this society, changing gender roles, public activities, pottery making and iron-working. Egalitarian Revolution in the Savanna will be of interest to students of political science, anthropology, archaeology and the history of West Africa.

Contents:

Decentralization and the evolution of egalitarian behaviors in sedentary societies

Ancient villages in the Niger bend: context and methods for exploring the Voltaic region

Ethnographic perspectives on western Burkina Faso: a survey

Kirikongo: an introduction to the site, the setting, and the research design

The West Africa environmental setting: Kirikongo in ecological context

Stratigraphies and depositional episodes: the excavations

Relative chronology: ceramics

Community growth at Kirikongo: the spatial and temporal setting

Early sedentary life in the Voltaic region: defining a "Voltaic tradition"

Craft production at Kirikongo: the origins, development and reinterpretation of specialization

Herding, farming, and ritual sacrifice: the economy from Kirikongo.

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 02 Oct 2015).

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on metadata supplied by the publisher and other sources.

ISBN:

1-317-54365-3

1-138-11063-9

1-315-72868-0

1-317-54366-1

1-84465-884-8

9781315728681

OCLC:

890531336