An Early Stone Age in Western Africa? Spheroids and polyhedrons at Ounjougou, Mali
Abstract
Ounjougou stratigraphic sequence (Bandiagara, Dogon Country, Mali) is the most complete record in Western Africa for the Middle Pleistocene. This paper focuses on the lithic industry unearthed in the lowest levels of the sequence. Despite the impossibility to fix the dating of those layers, the assemblage clearly presents Oldowan features. A strong erosive process, combined to the absence of Acheulean industry, strengthens the idea of a probable ancient age for the lithic industry. Morphometric, Technological and techno-functional approaches were performed to study sandstone polyhedrons, spheroids and bolas, abundant in the collection, along with a flake production on quartz and quartzite pebbles.
This study demonstrates that polyhedrons, spheroids and bolas were shaped from independent chaînes opératoires to realize specific tasks. The hypothesis of opportunistic knapping does not fit with these materials at Ounjougou. The evidence of shaping is highlighted by diacritic schemes showing that the flakes detached are not controlled for their usability, but for shaping the morphology of the spheroid. Apart from those polyhedrons and spheroids, flake production is also identified. While the shaping process is made on sandstone cobbles, sharp flakes are produced from quartz pebbles. This clear choice of different raw materials to produce shaped heavy tools in one hand and light flake tools in another hand strengthens the idea of a deliberate shaping of spheroid tools.
The discussion compares this assemblage with other known assemblages like Ain Hanech and Olducai Gorge. Our point focus on the methodology used to study these specific artefacts, very different from one author to another. We stress out the fact that using the term ‘polyhedron’ is not accurate to define artefacts that can refer to shape tools or multifacial cores. We suggest to avoid using it and to focus on a technical identification to name the artefacts as cores or tools. The technological and techno-functional approaches are relevant to make this distinction.
Then we propose some hypothesis about the use of spheroid and bolas and suggest experiments and traceological analyses in the future to confirm their functionality.
Ounjougou lithic tool kit, composed of flake débitage, retouched flakes and shaped tools on pebbles, along with the spheroids and bolas component, gives an evidence of a diversified tool kit corresponding to the Oldowan Industrial Complex, and then represents the first Early Stone Age site in stratigraphy in Western Africa.
References
Archambault de Beaune, S. 1989, Exemple ethnographique de l’usage pluri-fonctionnel d’un galet de quartz. Bulletin de la Société Préhistorique Française, 86(2): 61-64. (in French) (“An ethnographic example of the multi-functional use of a quartz pebble”) doi:10.3406/bspf.1989.9363
Aumassip, G., & Chaïd-Saoudi, Y. 2004, Préhistoire du Sahara et de ses abords, 1. Au temps des chasseurs, le paléolithique. Maisonneuve & Larose, Paris, 381 p. (in French) (“Prehistory of the Sahara and its surroundings, 1. At the time of hunters, the Palaeolithic”)
Balout, L. 1955, Préhistoire de l’Afrique du Nord. Essai de Chronologie. Arts et Métiers Graphiques, Paris, 535 p. (in French) (“Prehistory of the Northern Africa. An essay on chronology”)
Bayle Des Hermens, R. de 1975, Recherches préhistoriques en République centraficaine. Klincksieck, Paris, 343 p. (in French) (“Prehistoric researches in Central African Republic”)
Clark, J.D. 1982, The Cambridge history of Africa, From the earliest times to C. 500 BC, Vol. 1, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1173 p.
Dubreuil, L. 2001, Etudes fonctionnelles du materiel de broyage en préhistoire: Recherches méthodologiques. Bulletin du Centre de recherche français à Jérusalem, 9: 9-26. (in French) (“Functional studies of grinding material in Prehistory: Methodological researches”) URL: http://bcrfj.revues.org/1682
Huysecom, E., Ozanne, S., Cissé, L., Doutrelepont, H., Gallay, A., Konaté, D., Mayor, A., Raeli, F., Robert, A., Sanogo, K., Soriano, S., Sow, O., & Stokes, S. 2004, Du Paléolithique ancien à nos jours: La séquence archéologique et paléoenvironnementale du gisement d'Ounjougou (Pays Dogon, Mali). In: Actes du XXIe Congrès de l'Association Panafricaine de Préhistoire et disciplines assimilées (Sanogo, K., & Togola, T. Eds.), Institut des Sciences Humaines, Bamako: p. 289-327. (in French) (“From the ancient Palaeolithic to the present-day: The archaeological and palaeo-environmental sequence of the Ounjougou site (Pays Dogon, Mali)”)
Isaac, G.L. 1976, Plio-Pleistocene artifact assemblages from East Rudolf, Kenya. In: Earliest Man and environments in the Lake Rudolf Basin. Stratigraphy, paleoecology and evolution (Coppens, Y., Howell, F.C., Isaac, G.L., & Leakey, R.E.F. Eds.), University of Chicago Press, Chicago: p. 552-564.
Jones, P.R. 1994, Results of experimental work in relation to the stone industries of Olduvai Gorge. In: Olduvai Gorge, Vol. 5 Excavations in Beds III, IV and the Masek Beds, 1968-1971 (Leakey, M.D., & Roe, D.A., Eds), Cambridge University Press, Cambridge: p. 254-298.
Leakey, L.S.B. 1931, The Stone Age cultures of Kenya Colony. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 287 p.
Leakey, M.D., & Leakey, L.S.B. 1951, Excavations at the Njoro River Cave: Stone Age Cremated Burials in Kenya Colony. Oxford University Press, New York, 78 p.
Leakey, M.D. 1971, Olduvai Gorge, Vol. 3 Excavations in Beds I and II, 1960-1963. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 306 p.
Lespez, L., Rasse, M., Le Drezen, Y., Tribolo, C., Huysecom, E., & Ballouche, A. 2008, L’évolution hydromorphologique de la vallée du Yamé (pays Dogon, Mali): signal climatique et hydrosystème continental en Afrique de l’Ouest entre 50 et 40 ka cal. BP. Géomorphologie: Relief, processus, environnement, 3: 170-185. (in French) (“The hydro-morphological evolution of the Yamé Valley (pays Dogon, Mali): Climatic signal and continental hydro-system in Western Africa between 50 and 40 ka cal. BP.”). doi:10.4000/geomorphologie.7053
de Lumley, H., & Beyene, Y. (Eds.) 2004, Les sites préhistoriques de la région de Fejej, Sud-Omo, Ethiopie, dans leur contexte stratigraphique et paléontologique. Editions Recherche sur les Civilisations, Paris, 635 p. (in French) (“The prehistoric sites of the Fejej region, South-Omo, Ethiopia, in their stratigraphic and palaeontological context)
McBrearty, S., & Brooks, A. 2000, The revolution that wasn’t: A new interpretation of the origin of modern human behavior. Journal of Human Evolution, 39: 453-563. doi:10.1006/jhev.2000.0435
Mora, R., & de la Torre, I. 2005, Percussion tools in Olduvai Beds I and II (Tanzania): Implications for early human activities. Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, 24(2): 179-192. doi:10.1016/j.jaa.2004.12.001
Rasse, M., Soriano, S., Tribolo, C., Stokes, S., & Huysecom, E. 2004, La séquence pléistocène supérieure d'Ounjougou (Pays dogon, Afrique de l'Ouest): Évolution géomorphologique, enregistrements sédimentaires et changements culturels. Quaternaire, 15(4): 329-341. (in French) (“The upper Pleistocene sequence of Ounjougou (Pays dogon, Western Africa): Geomorphological evolution, sedimentary records and cultural changes”) doi:10.3406/quate.2004.1779
Rasse, M., Ballouche, A., Huysecom, E., Tribolo, C., Ozainne, S., Le Drezen, Y., Stokes, S., & Neumann, K. 2006, Évolution géomorphologique, enregistrements sédimentaires et dynamiques paléoenvironnementales holocènes à Ounjougou (Plateau dogon, Mali, Afrique de l'Ouest). Quaternaire, 17: 61-74. (in French) (“Geomorphological evolution, sedimentary records and Holocene paleo-environmental dynamics at Ounjougou (Plateau dogon, Mali, Western Africa)”) doi:10.4000/quaternaire.677
Robert, A., Soriano, S., Rasse, M., Stokes, S., & Huysecom, E. 2003, First chrono-cultural reference framework for the West African Paleolithic: New data from Ounjougou, Dogon Country, Mali. Journal of African Archaeology, 1(2): 151-169. doi:10.3213/1612-1651-10007
Roche, H., & Texier, P.J. 1991, La notion de complexité dans un ensemble lithique: application aux séries acheuléennes d’Isenya (Kenya). In: 25 ans d’études technologiques en préhistoire: Bilan et perspectives. Rencontres int. d’archéol. et d’hist., Vol. 11 (Antibes, 18-20 oct. 1990). Éditions APDCA, Juan-les-Pins: p. 99-108. (in French) (“The concept of complexity in a lithic assemblage: Application to Acheulean series of Isenya (Kenya)”)
Sahnouni, M., (Ed.) 2005, Le Paléolithique en Afrique: l’Histoire la plus longue. Errance, Paris, 256 p. (in French) (“The Palaeolithic in Africa: The longest history)
Sahnouni, M., Schick, K., & Toth, N. 1997, An Experimental Investigation into the Nature of Faceted Limestone ‘‘Spheroids’’ in the Early Palaeolithic. Journal of Archaeological Science, 24: 701-713. doi:10.1006/jasc.1996.0152
Sahnouni, M., & de Heinzelin, J., 1998, The site of Ain Hanech revisited: New Investigations at this Lower Pleistocene site in Northern Algeria. Journal of Archaeological Science, 25: 1083-1101. doi:10.1006/jasc.1998.0278
Sahnouni, M., Hadjouis, D., Van der Made, J., Derradji, A., Canals, A., Medig, M., Belahrech, H., Harichane, Z., & Rabhi, M. 2002, Further research at the Oldowan site of Ain Hanech, northeastern Algeria. Journal of Human Evolution, 43: 925-937. doi:10.1006/jhev.2002.0608
Sánchez-Yustos, P., Díez-Martín, F., Díaz, I.M., Duque, J., Fraile, C., & Domínguez-Rodrigo, M. 2015, Production and use of percussive stone tools in the Early Stone Age: Experimental approach to the lithic record of Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. Journal of Archaeological Science Reports, 2: 367-383. doi:10.1016/j.jasrep.2016.08.019
Schick, K., & Toth, N. 1994, Early Stone Age technology in Africa: A review and case study into the nature and function of spheroids and subspheroids. In: Integrative Paths to the Past. Paleoanthropological Advances in Honor of F. Clark Howell (Corruchini, R.S., & Ciochon, R.L., Eds.), Prentice Hall, New Jersey: p. 429-449.
Schick, K., & Toth, N., (Eds.) 2006, The Oldowan: Case studies into the Earliest Stone Age. Stone Age Institute Press, Bloomington, Indiana, 338 p.
Soriano, S., Rasse, M., Tribolo, C., & Huysecom, E. 2010, Ounjougou: A long Middle Stone Age sequence in the Dogon country (Mali), In: West African Archaeology. New developments, new perspectives (Allsworth-Jones, P., Ed.), BAR International Series Vol. S2164. Archaeopress, Oxford: p. 1-14.
Soriano, S., & Huysecom, E. 2012, Lithic industry as an Indicator of Ceramic Diffusion in the Early Neolithic of West Africa: A Case Study at Ounjougou (Mali). Journal of African Archaeology, 10(1): 85-101. doi:10.3213/2191-5784-10212
Texier, P.J., & Roche, H. 1995, Polyèdre, sub-sphéroïde, sphéroïde et bola: Des segments plus ou moins longs d'une même chaîne opératoire. Cahier Noir, 7: 31-40. (in French) (“Polyhedron, sub-spheroid, spheroid and bola: More or less long segments of the same reduction sequence”)
Tribolo, C., Rasse, M., Soriano, S., & Huysecom, E. 2015, Defining a chronological framework for the Middle Stone Age in West Africa: OSL ages at Ounjougou (Mali). Quaternary Geochronology, 29: 80-96. doi:10.1016/j.quageo.2015.05.013
Toth, N. 1985, The Oldowan reassessed: A close look at early stones artifacts. Journal of Archaeological Science, 12(2): 101-120. doi:10.1016/0305-4403(85)90056-1
Willoughby, P.R. 1985, Spheroids and battered stones in the African Early and Middle Stone age. World Archaeology, 17(1): 44-60. doi:10.1080/00438243.1985.9979949
Willoughby, P.R. 1987, Spheroids and battered stones in the African Early and Middle Stone age. Cambridge Monographs in African Archaeology, 17. BAR International Series Vol. 321, British Archaeological Reports, Oxford: 253 p.
This is an Open Access journal. All material is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence, unless otherwise stated.
Please read our Open Access, Copyright and Permissions policies for more information.
