Remains of woody plants from Saouga, a medieval west African village

Charcoal, fruits and seeds of woody plants have been studied from a settlement mound in the Sahel of Burkina Faso. The archaeobotanical results provide information on economy and environmental conditions at the periphery of the medieval kingdom of Songhai at around 1000 A.D. Millet (Pennisetum ameri...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Vegetation history and archaeobotany 1998-06, Vol.7 (2), p.57-77
Main Authors: Neumann, Katharina, Kahlheber, Stefanie, Uebel, Dirk
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Charcoal
Crystals
Dunes
Environmental conditions
Fruits
Human impact
Human influences
Millet
Parenchyma
Sahel
Savannahs
Savannas
Seeds
Taxa
Trees
Vegetation
Woody plants
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Summary:Charcoal, fruits and seeds of woody plants have been studied from a settlement mound in the Sahel of Burkina Faso. The archaeobotanical results provide information on economy and environmental conditions at the periphery of the medieval kingdom of Songhai at around 1000 A.D. Millet (Pennisetum americanum) was the basic crop, cultivated in fields in which also grew useful trees (park savannas). Besides millet, fruits of the park savanna trees and other wild woody plants were an important part of the diet. Stratigraphical changes in the charcoal diagram indicate that millet production was intensified and the park savanna system established in the course of mound formation. The charcoal results show that the vegetation around 1000 A.D. was more diverse than today, containing many Sahelo-Sudanian elements which cannot be found in the area any more. This indicates slightly higher precipitation than today but also less severe human impact. L'étude a porté sur des charbons, des fruits et des graines de plantes ligneuses provenant d'une butte d'occupation du Sahel burkinabé datée autour de 1000 A.D. Les résultats archéobotaniques permettent une compréhension de l'économie et des conditions environnementales en périphérie de l'empire médiéval Songhai. Le mil (Pennisetum americanum) était la principale récolte, cultivé dans des champs avec des arbres utiles (savane-parc). Outre le mil, les fruits des arbres de la savane-parc et d'autres plantes sauvages constituaient une part importante du régime alimentaire. Des changements stratigraphiques dans le diagramme des charbons indiquent que la production du mil était intensifiée et le système de la savane-parc était établi au cours de la formation de la butte. L'étude des charbons montre une végétation autour de 1000 A.D., plus riche qu'aujourd'hui avec plusieurs éléments sahélo-soudaniens disparus de la région. Cela indique des précipitations légèrement supérieures aux actuelles mais aussi un impact humain moins sévère.
ISSN:0939-6314
1617-6278
DOI:10.1007/BF01373925