ABSTRACT
The origins of nomadic pastoralism in West Africa, sensu stricto, is a topic which has remained relatively unexplored archaeologically. That cattle keepers existed in the Sahara from at least 5000 BC, and in the Sahel from at least 2000 BC, is well attested by osteological remains and rock art depictions (cf. Blench and MacDonald in press). This lengthy pastoral heritage has already inspired detailed considerations of nomadic origins in north-eastern and eastern Africa (Sadr 1991; Marshall 1990a). However, in the western Sahel there are few archaeologically significant data points for the seasonal mobility, economic interactions, and degree of livestock dependence for ancient cattle keepers. In this preliminary enquiry, I will focus on two Malian material case studies: one from the second millennium BC, another from the first millennium AD. Primary questions to be addressed will include how relatively ‘invisible’ ancient nomadic populations may be perceived, and how diverse economic adaptations may be archaeologically recognized and classified.
