TY - JOUR
T1 - A coastal occupation in Bénin, West Africa: Earthenwares and salt at the time of Atlantic entanglement
AU - Haour, Anne
AU - Coulson, Imogen
AU - N'Dah, Didier
AU - Labiyi, Nestor
PY - 2022/9/5
Y1 - 2022/9/5
N2 - The archaeology of the immediate coastline of West Africa remains surprisingly little understood, and what research has been undertaken has often focused on questions relating to sea-based interactions and the precolonial polities lying slightly inland. This paper reports the results of excavations on Ohlinhoué, a small lagoonal island in the western Republic of Bénin. A locally manufactured ceramic assemblage was recovered, together with a small suite of artifacts, including glass, metal, shell, and smoking pipes. These archaeological data provide insights into a small-scale, likely fishing and salt-producing community in this area between sea and river. As such, they provide an alternative to historical readings relating to well-known precolonial polities and trade entrepôts that feed popular historical narratives.
AB - The archaeology of the immediate coastline of West Africa remains surprisingly little understood, and what research has been undertaken has often focused on questions relating to sea-based interactions and the precolonial polities lying slightly inland. This paper reports the results of excavations on Ohlinhoué, a small lagoonal island in the western Republic of Bénin. A locally manufactured ceramic assemblage was recovered, together with a small suite of artifacts, including glass, metal, shell, and smoking pipes. These archaeological data provide insights into a small-scale, likely fishing and salt-producing community in this area between sea and river. As such, they provide an alternative to historical readings relating to well-known precolonial polities and trade entrepôts that feed popular historical narratives.
KW - Benin Republic
KW - coastal archaeology
KW - local pottery
U2 - 10.1080/15564894.2022.2084654
DO - 10.1080/15564894.2022.2084654
M3 - Article
JO - Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology
JF - Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology
SN - 1556-4894
ER -