The emergence of pottery in Africa during the 10th millennium calBC: new evidence from Ounjougou (Mali)

New excavations in ravines at Ounjougou in Mali have brought to light a lithic and ceramic assemblage that dates from before 9400 cal BC. The authors show that this first use of pottery coincides with a warm wet period in the Sahara. As in East Asia, where very early ceramics are also known, the pot...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Antiquity 2009, Vol.83 (322), p.905-917
Main Authors: Huysecom, Eric, Rasse, Michel, Lespez, Laurent, Neumann, Katharina, Fahmy, A., Ballouche, Aziz, Ozainne, Sylvain, Magetti, M., Tribolo, Chantal, Soriano, Sylvain
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Environment and Society
Environmental Sciences
Humanities and Social Sciences
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:New excavations in ravines at Ounjougou in Mali have brought to light a lithic and ceramic assemblage that dates from before 9400 cal BC. The authors show that this first use of pottery coincides with a warm wet period in the Sahara. As in East Asia, where very early ceramics are also known, the pottery and small bifacial arrowheads were the components of a new subsistence strategy exploiting an ecology associated with abundant wild grasses. In Africa however the seeds were probably boiled (then as now) rather than made into bread.
ISSN:0003-598X
1745-1744
DOI:10.1017/S0003598X00099245