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Sébastien Perret 1 Caroline Robion-Brunner 2 Vincent Serneels 1 1) Department of Geosciences, University of Fribourg,

International research program “Palaeoenvironment and Human Population in West Africa”, University of Geneva The socio-economic organisation of the iron production: Examples from the Dogon area (Mali). Sébastien Perret 1 Caroline Robion-Brunner 2 Vincent Serneels 1

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Sébastien Perret 1 Caroline Robion-Brunner 2 Vincent Serneels 1 1) Department of Geosciences, University of Fribourg,

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  1. International research program “Palaeoenvironment and Human Population in West Africa”, University of GenevaThe socio-economic organisationof the iron production:Examples from the Dogon area (Mali) Sébastien Perret 1 Caroline Robion-Brunner 2 Vincent Serneels 1 1) Department of Geosciences, University of Fribourg, Switzerland 2) Department of Anthropology, University of Geneva, Switzerland

  2. Introduction Main issues • Social status of the ironworkers • Organization of the production (workforce management, control over means of production and products) • Diffusion / consumption of iron (tools, semi-finished goods)

  3. Technological traditions on the Dogon plateau FIKO Large scale, Fiko tradition OUIN Medium scale, Ouin tradition ARIDINYI Medium scale, Aridinyi tradition

  4. The chaîne opératoire Smelting technology • Bloomery iron smelting • Low temperature process • Natural draft pit furnaces Chaîne opératoire • Ore extraction andcharcoal production • Smelting • Bloomsmithing • Smithing Ore extraction Smelting Smithing Huysecom 1996 Huysecom 1996

  5. The actors of the iron metallurgy Social categories involved • Dogon farmers • Blacksmiths Status • Workforce • Holders of rights on: • land • raw materials • means of production • products • Holders of knowledge • magical • technical The blacksmiths The Dogon farmers

  6. NIGER / BANI Workforce YAMÉ Fiko Control of the means of production Ouin Control of the products Villages and territories Smelting activities Workforce displacements (Semi-) finished goods Aridinyi

  7. NIGER / BANI Workforce YAMÉ Fiko Control of the means of production Ouin Control of the products Villages and territories Smelting activities Workforce displacements (Semi-) finished goods Aridinyi

  8. NIGER / BANI Workforce YAMÉ Fiko Control of the means of production Ouin Control of the products Villages and territories Smelting activities Workforce displacements (Semi-) finished goods Aridinyi

  9. Social organisation of the production Fiko tradition • smelting: farmers • smithing: blacksmiths →Dualist system Ouin tradition • Smelting / smithing: blacksmiths → Unitarian system Aridinyi tradition • smelting: blacksmiths / farmers • smithing: blacksmiths → Mixed system Bruno Martinelli (1992, 1993, 2000, 2002) Olivier Langlois (2005-2006)

  10. NIGER / BANI YAMÉ Fiko Ouin Villages and territories Smelting activities Workforce displacements (Semi-) finished goods Aridinyi

  11. NIGER / BANI YAMÉ Fiko Ouin Villages and territories Smelting activities Workforce displacements (Semi-) finished goods Aridinyi

  12. NIGER / BANI YAMÉ Fiko Ouin Villages and territories Smelting activities Workforce displacements (Semi-) finished goods Aridinyi

  13. Diffusion of raw iron • Bloomsmithing generally seems to take place at the smelting sites • The iron circulates in form of bars or preforms • All villages have blacksmiths that produce finished objects for local consumption In most cases, the iron enters the exchange network as bars or preforms, but neither as blooms nor finished objects

  14. Evaluation of the iron production • Fiko tradition • > 900 years • 300’000 t of slag • = 300 t/a • Annual output: • 30 - 60 t/a • 10s of tons • Ouin tradition • 500 years • 2‘500 t of slag • = 5 t/a • Annual output: • 500-1000 kg/a • 100s of kg • Aridinyi tradition • 400 years • 10‘000 t of slag • = 25 t/a • Annual output: • 2.5 - 5 t/a • some tons Ratio of slag to iron (finished objects): from 10:1 to 5:1

  15. Consumption Demography of the Dogon plateau in 1900 AD • Population: 70’000 individuals • Mean village population: ca 500 • About 150 villages Iron consumption (annual renewal of iron stock) • Few iron in circulation (mostly hoes, weapons, knives…) • Stock per adult men probably <2 kg, renewal max. 1 kg/a • ca 100 adult men per village → ca 100 kg per village

  16. NIGER / BANI Excess production 10s of tons Fiko Underproduction 100s of kg Ouin Import Self-sufficiency Some tons Aridinyi

  17. Conclusions • Different modes of socio-economic organisation coexist in small area • Production of the small to medium-sized production sites is sufficient to supply the whole Dogon plateau • Large scale iron production of the Fiko tradition are not or marginally involved in trading networks on the plateau • Smelting activities on large smelting sites are controlled by farmers

  18. Thank you Acknowledgements Eric Huysecom, “Palaeoenvironment and Human Population in West Africa”, U. of Geneva Barbara Eichhorn, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt (anthracology) Anne Mayor, U. of Geneva (ceramic typology) Adama Dembele, Mission Culturelle de Bandiagara, Mali

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