essay

Archaeological data on the origins of cultivation in the southwestern Sahara and their implications for West Africa

origins of african plant domesticationThe HaguePublished In 1976 • Pages: 187-209

By: Munson, Patrick J..

AbstractBrief abstract written by HRAF anthropologists who have done the subject indexing for the document
This study explores the hypothesis that there was an early center of origin for seed-crop agriculture in the marginal climatic areas of the West African Sahelian zone. The author covers what is know about subsistence, environment, settlement patterns, and types of artifacts found in the eight phase archaeological sequence of the Dhar Tichitt region. Why the people of this area adopted food production is considered (going from seed collecting to intensive cropping in just a century), as is the origins of the grains adopted.
SubjectsDocument-level OCM identifiers given by the anthropology subject indexers at HRAF
Theoretical orientation in research and its results
Climate
Flora
Acculturation and culture contact
Collecting
Hunting and trapping
Fishing
Pastoral activities
Cereal agriculture
Chronologies and culture sequences
traditionCulture name from the Outline of World Cultures (OWC)
West African Neolithic
RegionThe area the document pertains to
Africa
Sub RegionThe more specific area the document pertains to, which is located within the Region
Western Africa
Document TypeMay include journal articles, essays, collections of essays, monographs, or chapters/parts of monographs
essay
Evaluation
Creator TypeThe type of person writing the document, e.g. Ethnographer, Missionary, Archaeologist, Folklorist, Linguist, Indigenous Person, and so on.
Archaeologist
Document Rating A ranking done by HRAF anthropologists based on the strength of the source material on a scale of 1 to 5, as follows: 1 - poor; 2 - fair; 3 - good, useful data, but not uniformly excellent; 4 - excellent secondary data; 5 - excellent primary data.
4: Excellent Secondary Data
5: Excellent Primary Data
AnalystThe HRAF anthropologist who subject indexed the document and prepared other materials for the eHRAF culture/tradition collection
Sarah Berry; 2021
Field DateThe date the researcher conducted the fieldwork or archival research that produced the document
1966-1968
Coverage DateThe date or dates that the information in the document pertains to
4000-2400
Coverage PlaceLocation of the research culture or tradition (often a smaller unit such as a band, community, or archaeological site)
Dhar Tichitt escarpment, Tagant and Hodh Ech Chargui regions, Mauritania
NotesAdditional notes
Patrick J. Munson
Includes bibliographical references (p. 206-209)
LCCNLibrary of Congress Control Number
77353651
LCSHLibrary of Congress Subject Headings
West African Neolithic