Ironworking

Caroline Robion-Brunner (1)

1 TRACES - Travaux et recherches archéologiques sur les cultures, les espaces et les sociétés

This chapter presents the analysis of archaeological remains related to the production of iron, both at Birnin Lafiya (where slag, iron tools and iron ornaments were discovered) and beyond. Our survey and test pitting throughout Dendi has allowed the identification of a number of iron production sites and the characterisation of several technical repertoires, some of which are now dated. Additionally, it has been possible to assess the amount of slag produced in order to suggest the type of market supplied by the sites. We discuss these data in terms of population dynamics, but one important consideration to bear in mind when using both ethnographic and archaeological data is that the current population of Dendi is quite recent, and removed from most of the technical traditions visible archaeologically.

Keywords: Archaeology; Ethnohistory; Iron; Blacksmith; Technology; Benin; Africa

Domains: Archaeology and Prehistory; Social Anthropology and ethnology

Caroline Robion-Brunner. Ironworking. Haour A. Two Thousand Years in Dendi, Northern Benin, 13, Brill, pp.174-192, 2018, Journal of African Archaeology Monographs Series, 978-90-04-37669-4. ⟨10.1163/9789004376694_019⟩. ⟨hal-02011215⟩