La métallurgie du fer au Sahel : Répartition spatiale de bas fourneaux au Sud-Ouest du Niger. Premiers résultats
Résumé
A 15 km à l'Est de Niamey (Sud-Ouest du Niger), une prospection pédestre exhaustive a permis de dénombrer plus de 4000 bas-fourneaux sur un bassin versant de 24 km². Ils sont identifiables par la présence de scories correspondant aux résidus de réduction du fer. Ce grand nombre de structures de réduction est lié au fonctionnement à usage unique des bas-fourneaux, qui est peu étudié dans la région ouest africaine. Les premières études de répartition spatiale montrent que l'implantation de ces bas-fourneaux est principalement soumise à la géomorphologie. Les forgerons ont installé leurs sites de réduction à proximité des talus de plateaux où affleure le minerai de fer et sur des surfaces sableuses aujourd'hui encroûtées.
In Southwest Niger, 15 km east of Niamey, ca 4 000 low shaft furnaces were counted by GPS during an exhaustive archaeological prospection in a lake catchment area, which covers an area of 24 km². Slag, by-product of iron smelting, allows us to identify the presence of low shaft furnaces. This vast quantity of furnaces is the consequence of their single use; this has been particularity little studied in West Africa. First results of spatial repartition show that settlement of low shaft furnaces depends on geomorphology. Smiths have built their furnaces near tablelands which are rich in outcrops of iron ore and on currently encrusted sandy surfaces.
In Southwest Niger, 15 km east of Niamey, ca 4 000 low shaft furnaces were counted by GPS during an exhaustive archaeological prospection in a lake catchment area, which covers an area of 24 km². Slag, by-product of iron smelting, allows us to identify the presence of low shaft furnaces. This vast quantity of furnaces is the consequence of their single use; this has been particularity little studied in West Africa. First results of spatial repartition show that settlement of low shaft furnaces depends on geomorphology. Smiths have built their furnaces near tablelands which are rich in outcrops of iron ore and on currently encrusted sandy surfaces.
Origine : Accord explicite pour ce dépôt
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