Archaeologists hit jackpot in Mali

[Adsos Letter]

SOURCE: swissinfo.ch

Archaeologists from Geneva University have discovered what they claim is Africa's oldest ceramic, dated at around 9,400BC, in eastern Mali.

"It's a tiny, ornate fragment that was made with great skill and the use of fire," said ethno-archaeologist Anne Mayor in Bamako, the Malian capital.

Mayor is part of an eight-person Swiss team in the country, comprising five scientists from Geneva and three from Fribourg, who are working with colleagues from Mali, Germany and France.

The find was made in the area of the Dogon people, whose main territory is bisected by the Bandiagara Escarpment, a sandstone cliff up to 500m high and which stretches for about 150km. Swiss archaeologists have been digging in the area for 20 years.


http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/news_digest/Archaeologists_hit_jackpot_in_Mali.html?siteSect=104&sid=10935272&cKey=1247128029000&ty=nd

[BlooInBloo]

1. I know that's a lie becuase the earth is only 6,000 years old.

:P

[msongs]

3. yes but even then it was fully stocked with pottery fragments nt

[GreenPartyVoter]

9. And dinosaur bones, as hidden by Satan so as to confuse people.

[I Have A Dream]

22. LOL!

:thumbsup:

:crazy:

[depakid]

47. Oh yes indeedy

[roguevalley]

14. this is awesome. It would seem reasonable that the idea of fire and

certain kinds of mud would make ceramics much earlier than we think. people are clever and good.

[Karenina]

2. Oh dear, Adsos

I do SO love your posts and now see one UNRECOMMENDED with no replies... K&R!!! :kick:

[Adsos Letter]

38. Thanks, Karenina!

:hi:

[MNDemNY]

4. This is IMPOSSIBLE, as the earth, as we all know, is only 6013 years old. Sheesh!

[Submariner]

5. LIAR!!!!!!!

Arizona State Senator Sylvia Allen (R) Says Earth is 6,000 Years Old
By Heather Wednesday Jul 08, 2009 5:30am

http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/arizona-state-senator-sylvia-allen-r-says

[scheming daemons]

6. God placed pottery fragments here that are older than 6000 years in order to "test" our faith

:eyes:

[Glorfindel]

8. Heresy! Blasphemy! SATAN placed them here to tempt us

into thinking like rational beings!!!!

:spank: :evilgrin:

[Soylent Brice]

7. K&R

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

10. A boost to science

Hope they find more.

[myrna minx]

11. K&R n.t

[DCKit]

12. The first white colonials, no doubt.

Everyone knows no non-white indigenous population ever created anything so advanced.:sarcasm:

[alfredo]

13. Part of the escarpment

[Robb]

17. Saw that on Michael Palin's "Sahara" series

Reminded me of Mesa Verde. :)

[alfredo]

18. The whole Sahara and sub Sahara is beautiful.

[Ignis]

32. Lovely! Thanks for posting those shots for context. (nt)

[alfredo]

35. A person needs to see Africa at least once in their lifetime.

[Ignis]

36. It's one of the few continents left on my checklist!

My sister had a chance to spend 2+ weeks in Africa last year, and I'm still seething with jealousy. :)

[alfredo]

44. Of course with Africa travel, check with the state department first. What

was safe when I was there, is not now.

[Adsos Letter]

41. Thankyou for posting these, Alfredo!

They demonstrate similarities with cliff-dweller cultures of the American Southwest...and other parts of the world, I suppose. :hi:

[alfredo]

46. Ever wonder about the similarities between cliff dwellers and apartment

dwellers?

[NeedleCast]

15. Impossible

The world is only 6000 years old

[immoderate]

16. "The first settlements in the region date from around a million years ago."

:wow:

--imm

[slampoet]

19. The writing on the pottery translates to "World's Greatest Dad"

[dugaresa]

33. nah it says "Franklin Mint"

and will be on ebay shortly

[hootinholler]

20. Doggone it!

They done did it now.

-Hoot

[SoCalDem]

21. but when they scraped the dirt off it said

[Bryn]

23. Those who believe Earth is 6,000 yrs old have no business

being senators, representatives, congress, etc.It just shows that they don't have education.

[donheld]

24. Impossible! The world is only 6000 years old

didn't anybody tell you :D

[Liberal_in_LA]

28. lol. +1

[On the Road]

25. Thank You, Adsos, This is New

It might even be from the period when the area was a lush savannah with giraffes and hippos. I suspect there is much, much more old material to be found in the Sahara and Sahel regions.

I just wish they had a picture of the pottery. Was not able to find it on a search.

[Adsos Letter]

39. I also searched, but could not find a photo:

my understanding is that a fuller report will be issued later this year. :hi:

[On the Road]

45. Here's a Small Pic

The ravine at Ounjougou allows access to layers of sediment over 30,000 years old (Eric Huysecom)


Pieces of the 11,400-year-old cooking pot (Eric Huysecom)

Who knows? Maybe they'll find something at 30,000 years.

[On the Road]

49. One More Link

This one to the offical site:

http://www.ounjougou.org/?lang=en

[Solly Mack]

26. As always - Thank you

K&R

[Adsos Letter]

42. You are quite welcome, and it is my pleasure Solly Mack, as always!

:hi:

[RagAss]

27. There must be some mistake. The world is only 50 years old.

I'm 50. Therefore the world is 50. How's that for a fundy position?

:sarcasm:

[bertman]

29. Does ceramic equal pottery? Or is it a more advanced style of pottery?

[Kind of Blue]

30. Well, the world is only 6,000 years old because

Dogons are another species, :rofl: according to Fox. When will people just accept that Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a dinosaur on Palm Sunday? Sheesh!!!

[Solomon]

31. The Dogon People are a true mystery. They knew details about

the Star Sirius that we are just now discovering through technology. No one knows how they came by the knowledge that they have. Some of them even claim that they originated on Sirius.

A real mystery. There are several books on the subject.

[Tutankhamun]

34. I read one. I think it was called The Sirius Mystery. Robert Anton Wilson also wrote about them.

But I was disappointed to find out that they may well have been coached or guided to mention Sirius by the researchers who met with them and supposedly heard their tales of Sirius. Apparently, Sirius was already a popular, somewhat trendy topic discused in the same circles the researchers inhabited. I don't remember any real details, but a little digging (google) should be productive.

I was pretty disappointed when I decided I could no longer believe the wonderful, intergalactic tales about the Dogon.

[arcadian]

37. got any links?

that does sound interesting.

[havocmom]

48. Are you a Tom Robbins reader/fan by any chance?

Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas ;)

[redqueen]

40. Neat!

It's fascinating to think about how much has already been lost forever... all the things we'll never even know once existed... as well as all the things yet to be found.

[Adsos Letter]

43. If you want to see some discouraging reading on the destruction of a very ancient

and significant archaeological sight redqueen, check out the latest UNESCO report on the damage done to ancient Babylon under Iraqi and American occupation:

"Final Report On Damage Assessment in Babylon:" http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0018/001831/183134e.pdf