Journal of African Archaeology· 2013Q1
Excavations at Gao Saney: New Evidence for Settlement Growth, Trade, and Interaction on the Nige r Bend in the First Millennium CE
- 74citations
- Q1SCImago
- 2013year
Short summary
Excavations at the 32-hectare Gao Saney mound reveal evidence of spatial differentiation, trade, and chronological data, suggesting it was the market town Sarneh, a key trading center on the Niger Bend in the first millennium CE.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Key points
- Excavations at the 32-hectare Gao Saney mound were the first sustained archaeological explorations of the site.
- Evidence for spatial differentiation, including domestic and workshop areas, was uncovered.
- Radiocarbon and ceramic dating provided new chronological data for the site.
- Findings indicate significant involvement in trade networks and settlement growth.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Along with Ghana, Gawgaw (Gao) was an important regional trading polity mentioned by Arab chroniclers in the later first millennium CE. In the later tenth century, al-Muhallabi wrote of the dual towns of Gawgaw, one the residence of the king and the other a market and trading town called Sarneh. The large settlement mound of Gao Saney, located seven kilometers east of Gao, has long been thought to be the site of Sarneh. Excavations in 2001–2 and 2009 were the first sustained archaeological explorations of the main, 32-hectare mound, providing new information on function, subsistence economy, material culture, and chronology, and expanding considerably on earlier investigations by T. Insoll and R. Mauny. This article presents a broad overview of the recent excavations, focusing particularly on the evidence for spatial differentiation (domestic and workshop areas), chronology (both radiocarbon and ceramic) and involvement in trade networks.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Journal of African Archaeology, 2013 · DOI ↗
Continue with a free account
Ask the paper: 3 free questions a day about this paper; save it, get its citation, new summaries every day for your field. Takeaways are Premium.
Continue free on the webSign in with Google or Apple; no card needed. You come back to this paper.
On your phone:
Field: Archeology (Social Sciences)
ArcheologySocial Sciences