Megaliths and Mande states: Sociopolitical change in the Gambia Valley over the past two millennia

This thesis examines socio-political changes over the past two thousand years within the Central Gambia Valley. Archaeological data, collected during three seasons of regional survey and excavations, is used to form interpretations concerning the social, political, and economic conditions that prevailed in the Central Gambia Valley in the past. Particular attention is paid to domestic sites and spaces, as previous work in the region has focused mainly on stone circle monuments used for ritual and funerary purposes.; Between 1998 and 2000, regional survey was conducted over a fifty square kilometer area of the Central River Division, The Gambia. Full coverage survey was obtained in most cases, and care was taken to record all monumental, habitation, and activity sites encountered. During the 2000 field season, a small number of habitation sites, were chosen to undergo intensive sub-surface testing and excavation.; The examination of materials from excavation and surface collections has led to a much greater understanding of site types and chronology in the Central Gambia Valley. Analysis of several thousand ceramic sherds has allowed the creation of a regional ceramic chronology. Paleoethnobotanical and faunal analyses have revealed that subsistence strategies in the region have remained relatively unchanged since the first millennium AD. Domesticated millet and rice appear to have been the most popular cereal crops. An extremely diverse array of animals, including both domesticated and wild species, were utilized.; Special attention was also paid to settlement patterns in the region. The majority of habitation sites located date to the first occupation phase (200–1200 AD). Although habitation sites range in size, there is no clear evidence of a site-size hierarchy. Settlements are relatively dispersed. The second and third phases of occupation (1200–1900 AD) witnessed an increased number of fortified sites, suggesting that inter-polity warfare was increasing. Important social transformations, including the immigration of large numbers of Mande speakers, occurred during this time period. Despite the threat of violence, settlements remain dispersed. I argue that this dispersed settlement pattern is a direct result of the importance of controlling riverine and overland trade routes.