African Archaeology and History Research Papers (original) (raw)
From the 9th to the 13th centuries ce, the eastern Niger Bend was dominated by a trading state known to Arab chroniclers as Kawkaw with its royal capital, Gao, strategically located on the Niger River at the mouth of a fossil valley... more
From the 9th to the 13th centuries ce, the eastern Niger Bend was dominated by a trading state known to Arab chroniclers as Kawkaw with its royal capital, Gao, strategically located on the Niger River at the mouth of a fossil valley leading north to the Sahara. Through control of distant salt sources and trade routes, Songhai rulers created a far-reaching kingdom that had elements of empire. Historical sources unfortunately provide little information on the military or larger political configuration of Kawkaw.Keywords:9th–13th centuries ce ;imperial history;western Africa9th–13th centuries ce ;imperial history;western Africa
This article relates an eye witness account of the extreme changes undergone from season to season in the Namib Desert and how this provides an explanation for the presence of archaeological remains in what at first appears to be an... more
This article relates an eye witness account of the extreme changes undergone from season to season in the Namib Desert and how this provides an explanation for the presence of archaeological remains in what at first appears to be an inhospitable environment.
(Poster), 3ème Rencontres des Etudes Africaines en France, 30 juin-3 juillet 2014, Bordeaux
... Jaime Almansa conducted the visits and general explanations with the help of the teachers, while Ato Gashaw or Ato Dawit gave the final talk on the excavation in Amharic. ... I see pot and building. I see a very ancient material. 400... more
... Jaime Almansa conducted the visits and general explanations with the help of the teachers, while Ato Gashaw or Ato Dawit gave the final talk on the excavation in Amharic. ... I see pot and building. I see a very ancient material. 400 years ago.' 'Getachew Assafa. Teacher. ...
"The fourth fielwork season in the Jesuit missions of Central Ethiopia was dedicated to the cleaning of the defensive wall around the Catholic church and the expansion of the excavated area in the palace of king Susenyos, both in... more
"The fourth fielwork season in the Jesuit missions of Central Ethiopia was dedicated to the cleaning of the defensive wall around the Catholic church and the expansion of the excavated area in the palace of king Susenyos, both in Azäzo near Gondar. In the wall the foundations of two big round towers were unearthed; probably the model later followed by the classical Gondarine architecture of the 17th and 18th centuries, and a complex underground water system was discovered in the Susenyos palace. Also one of the rooms and part of the courtyard in the missionary residence at Gorgora Nova was excavated, and a tridimensional topographical analysis was made of all the standing Jesuit buildings north of Lake Tana, using the Laser- Scanner of the University Complutense CAI (Center of Assistance to the Archaeological Research)."
Three-hundred-and-sixty glass beads from 19 archaeological sites in southern Africa dating between about the 8th and 16th centuries AD were analyzed using LA-ICP-MS, determining 47 chemical elements. The eight different bead series,... more
Three-hundred-and-sixty glass beads from 19 archaeological sites in southern Africa dating between about the 8th and 16th centuries AD were analyzed using LA-ICP-MS, determining 47 chemical elements. The eight different bead series, previously defined on morphological characteristics, possess different glass chemistries. Some bead series were made from plant-ash glasses, others from soda-alumina glasses. Zhizo series beads of the late 1st
Durante noviembre y diciembre de 2008 un equipo de arqueólogos de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid ha llevado a cabo la 2ª campaña de excavaciones en el yacimien-to de Azäzo, muy cerca de Gondar, antigua capital del reino etíope. De... more
Durante noviembre y diciembre de 2008 un equipo de arqueólogos de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid ha llevado a cabo la 2ª campaña de excavaciones en el yacimien-to de Azäzo, muy cerca de Gondar, antigua capital del reino etíope. De acuerdo con los textos jesuitas ( ...
The chemical compositions of the copper alloy artifacts from the Middle Senegal Valley were of paramount interest in the overall examination of these specimens. Determining whether these objects were of brass (copper and zinc alloy),... more
The chemical compositions of the copper alloy artifacts from the Middle Senegal Valley were of paramount interest in the overall examination of these specimens. Determining whether these objects were of brass (copper and zinc alloy), bronze (copper and tin alloy), or some other copper-based alloy could suggest whether they originated from trans-Saharan commerce or from some nonlocal source. Alternatively, if the artifacts were of pure or arsenical copper, we could explore their connections to local or regional sub-Saharan sources. Following introductory and methodological sections, and presentation of the chemical analysis results, our discussion will include a synthesis of the Middle Senegal Valley data as well as a comparison with other applicable chemical composition data from the region. Finally, we conclude with interpretations of data and presented information.