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The Namoratunga of East Africa: 3:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. February 18th and 25th March 4th and 11th Bellingham Senior Activity Center 315 Halleck Street |
Brief course description: eMail the instructor The Turkana of northern Kenya believe that stone pillars mark places where ancient dancers were turned to stone. The first Namoratunga visited by archaeologists was described as an astronomical observatory of the ancient Cushites, but others have shown this to be unlikely. This course centers on the first excavation of a Namoratunga on the shore of Lake Turkana at the foot of the Jarigole Hills. This 4,000 year-old site, made by the first keepers of domestic stock in Eastern Africa, reveals the earliest evidence for long-distance trade in Subsaharan Africa and a ceramic tradition of incredible beauty and complexity. |
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MENU . = recently added material Jarigole Namoratunga Excavations at Jarigole Early Trade in East Africa. Jarigole Annotated Galleries Other Namoratunga Lothagam Namoratunga Il Lokeridede Namoratunga Kalokol Namoratunga The Lokori Namoratunga The Ella of Dirikoro, Omo, Ethiopia Background Material Cultural Background More links and content will be added in February. |
Preliminary Course Outline Africa on the Cusp of CivilizationClimatic Change 10,000 to 4,000 years ago Gatherers/fishers/herders/farmers in the climatic vice Regional adaptations and population movements Consequences for Sub-Saharan Africa Some Archaeological Puzzles in Eastern Africa Glimpses of early pottery makers L.S.B. Leakey and the elusive people of the Nderit Domestic animals: now you see them; now you don't 1,000 BC: where did all these pastoralists come from? Tour of stone pillar sites: ancient Cushite observatories? That A-ha! Moment: Introducing the Jarigole Namoratunga Undressing an archaeological site: where to begin? Observation: both the site and its context One site or several sites? Asking questions that you can answer Multiple working hypotheses Implications & Planning Mapping & surface collection Excavation priorities and techniques Jarigole revealed ... partially (yes, some mystery abides) Site - it's situation and structure Site contents: general character & amounts Cultural and social implications How new ideas arise while you are excavating Adjusting research to address these new issues Site contents considered in detail Ornaments: trade and social differentiation Ground stone tools: what is absent can be revealing Flaked stone tools: hints, but mysteries abound Ceramics: A big and complex topic, as you will see The importance of ceramic analysis What is a "Ceramic Ware" & what does it mean? Nderit Ware: It's history and traditional interpretation Why Jarigole redefines the concept of Nderit Ware How to make a Jarigole vessel: the potter's choices The components of Nderit Ware at: "motif clusters" Classic vessels (stylus band & panel motif clusters) Soft paste stylus evulsion motif cluster The burnished ripple motif cluster The channel and stamped motif cluster The floating panel motif cluster How do we know these clusters form a ceramic ware? What leads to motif clusters in a ceramic ware? Choice (reduction) analysis in pot making Choice analysis for ostrich eggshell beads Why are some clusters absent from other Nderit sites? What Does Nderit Ware signify? The Geo-cultural hypothesis The role of climatic change Geographic spread of Nderit communities Development of new wares in isolated Nderit groups The children of the Nderit Representational art and objects Symboling: how you recognize and interpret it Figurines: large, diverse, oldest in Sub-Saharan Africa Fertility symbolism: some obvious; most not so What do ceramic designs mean? Towards an "Nderit language of ceramic design" Remaining Questions The social significance of burial: what we need to know Clans or lineages: are these reflected in the ceramics? The persistence of asymmetry in pastoral design. Where did the Nderit come from: how do we find them? Resurrecting Nderit Ware: If you are a potter and would like to have a go at this, I would love to help you out! |
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©2009 by Charles M. Nelson All rights reserved. |