Egalitarian Revolution in the Savanna: The Origins of a West African Political System (Approaches to Anthropological Archaeology)

Many West African societies have egalitarian political systems, with non-centralised distributions of power. 'Egalitarian Revolution in the Savanna' analyses a wide range of archaeological data to explore the development of such societies. The volume offers a detailed case study of the village settlement of Kirikongo in western Burkina Faso. Over the course of the first millennium, this single homestead extended control over a growing community. The book argues that the decentralization of power in the twelfth century BCE radically transformed this society, changing gender roles, public activities, pottery making and iron-working. 'Egalitarian Revolution in the Savanna' will be of interest to students of political science, anthropology, archaeology and the history of West Africa. Cover Half Title Series Page Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Table of Contents List of Figures List of Tables Acknowledgments 1 Decentralization and the Evolution of Egalitarian Behaviors in Sedentary Societies 2 Ancient Villages in the Niger Bend: Context and Methods for Exploring the Voltaic Region 3 Ethnographic Perspectives on Western Burkina Faso: A Survey 4 Kirikongo: An Introduction to the Site, the Setting, and the Research Design 5 The West African Environmental Setting: Kirikongo in Ecological Context 6 Stratigraphies and Depositional Episodes: The Excavations 7 Relative Chronology: Ceramics 8 Community Growth at Kirikongo: The Spatial and Temporal Setting 9 Early Sedentary Life in the Voltaic Region: Defining a ‘Voltaic Tradition’ 10 Craft Production at Kirikongo: The Origins, Development and Reinterpretation of Specialization 11 Herding, Farming, and Ritual Sacrifice: The Economy from Kirikongo 12 Death and Ritual Objects at Kirikongo: House-Based Social Differentiation 13 Archaeological Patterns and Social Process: Reconstructing Changing Life at Kirikongo 14 Land, Spiritual Power, and Gerontocracy: An Exploration of the Roots of Egalitarian Revolution in the Western Voltaic Region 15 Hierarchy and Egalitarianism within the Niger Bend: Revolution and the Triumph of Communalism Bibliography Index Archaeological research at Kirikongo in Burkina Faso has uncovered a sequence critical to understanding the emergence of corporate political systems world-wide. Benefiting from this rich ethnographic and intellectual discourse, this volume addresses current debates from the archaeological record.