Dhar Tichitt, Walata et Nema

The sandstone cliffs zone located along the eastern, northern, and western edge of the Hodh depression in south-central Mauritania were colonized by Neolithic agro-pastoral communities at the beginning of the second millennium BCE. They were not only growing finger millet, and rearing cattle and she...

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Main Author: Augustin F.-C. Holl
Format: Article
Language:fra
Published: Editions de la Maison des Sciences de l'Homme 2012-03-01
Series:Les Nouvelles de l’Archéologie
Subjects:
Online Access:http://journals.openedition.org/nda/1584
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author Augustin F.-C. Holl
author_facet Augustin F.-C. Holl
author_sort Augustin F.-C. Holl
collection DOAJ
description The sandstone cliffs zone located along the eastern, northern, and western edge of the Hodh depression in south-central Mauritania were colonized by Neolithic agro-pastoral communities at the beginning of the second millennium BCE. They were not only growing finger millet, and rearing cattle and sheep/goats, but also hunting, fishing in the ponds and lakes, and collecting wild grains. They have left conspicuous evidence of the presence in the landscape, including impressive villages built with dry-stone maçonry technique, rock engravings and paintings, as well as stone tumuli and surface sites. Each of these component of the material record feature one aspect of the ongoing construction of the local cultural landscapes, aimed at “socializing” nature, building a “behavioral space”, and a “social mental map” at multiple spatial scales. Four such spatial scales, the domestic, community or village, sub-regional, and regional space, are discussed in this paper. The goal is to unwrap and understand the site-location strategies devised by these Neolithic agro-pastoralists and how their settlement systems evolved and changed in the long-term.
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spelling doaj.art-0e12453210b049b397da15d79e42d5652022-12-22T01:13:14ZfraEditions de la Maison des Sciences de l'HommeLes Nouvelles de l’Archéologie0242-77022425-19412012-03-01127353910.4000/nda.1584Dhar Tichitt, Walata et NemaAugustin F.-C. HollThe sandstone cliffs zone located along the eastern, northern, and western edge of the Hodh depression in south-central Mauritania were colonized by Neolithic agro-pastoral communities at the beginning of the second millennium BCE. They were not only growing finger millet, and rearing cattle and sheep/goats, but also hunting, fishing in the ponds and lakes, and collecting wild grains. They have left conspicuous evidence of the presence in the landscape, including impressive villages built with dry-stone maçonry technique, rock engravings and paintings, as well as stone tumuli and surface sites. Each of these component of the material record feature one aspect of the ongoing construction of the local cultural landscapes, aimed at “socializing” nature, building a “behavioral space”, and a “social mental map” at multiple spatial scales. Four such spatial scales, the domestic, community or village, sub-regional, and regional space, are discussed in this paper. The goal is to unwrap and understand the site-location strategies devised by these Neolithic agro-pastoralists and how their settlement systems evolved and changed in the long-term.http://journals.openedition.org/nda/1584cultural landscapesDhar-Tichitt-Walata-NemaMauritanian SaharaNeolithic agro-pastoralistsWest Africa
spellingShingle Augustin F.-C. Holl
Dhar Tichitt, Walata et Nema
Les Nouvelles de l’Archéologie
cultural landscapes
Dhar-Tichitt-Walata-Nema
Mauritanian Sahara
Neolithic agro-pastoralists
West Africa
title Dhar Tichitt, Walata et Nema
title_full Dhar Tichitt, Walata et Nema
title_fullStr Dhar Tichitt, Walata et Nema
title_full_unstemmed Dhar Tichitt, Walata et Nema
title_short Dhar Tichitt, Walata et Nema
title_sort dhar tichitt walata et nema
topic cultural landscapes
Dhar-Tichitt-Walata-Nema
Mauritanian Sahara
Neolithic agro-pastoralists
West Africa
url http://journals.openedition.org/nda/1584
work_keys_str_mv AT augustinfcholl dhartichittwalataetnema