Publications
Association between placental malaria, postnatal linear growth, and body mass index in the Dogon Longitudinal Study, Mali
Severe placental malaria (PM) is linked to long-term adverse growth outcomes in children, including reduced linear growth up to age 5 and increased body mass index (BMI). A study of 317 Dogon children in Mali found that severe parasite density in the placenta was associated with a persistent decrease in height (−0.83 cm at 6 months) and a significant increase in BMI from ages 2 to 5, even after controlling for birth weight. The research used longitudinal data collected twice yearly, analyzing placental histology alongside growth metrics via linear mixed models. This is the first evidence that PM impacts postnatal BMI, expanding our understanding of its long-term effects beyond neonatal outcomes.
How Is Authenticity Perceived in the Management of African World Heritage Sites? The Case of World Heritage Sites in Mali
A study on UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Mali reveals that the authenticity of African earthen architectural heritage is not solely defined by material criteria but is deeply rooted in intangible practices and regenerative building cultures. This holistic approach, which emphasizes sociocultural and spiritual dimensions, often conflicts with modern urban development aspirations, posing significant challenges for sustainable conservation. The research analyzed perceptions of authenticity among local communities, heritage professionals, and visitors, highlighting a notable discrepancy between institutional definitions and community understandings. The study focuses on four sites: the Ancient Cities of Djenné and Timbuktu, the Bandiagara Escarpment (including the Cliff of Bandiagara), and the Tomb of Askia, some dating back to the 2nd-3rd century BCE.
The Anthracology of Faidherbia Albida Parklands in West Africa: A Review and a Case Study from Tyi, Dogon Country, Mali
Recent anthracological research reveals that the spread of Faidherbia albida, a multipurpose tree species, in West African savannas began significantly earlier—hundreds of years ago—than previously thought. This shift occurred under intensified land use and possibly the influence of Fulani groups, challenging earlier estimates that placed its rise around 1,000 years ago. The study, conducted at Tyi in Mali's Dogon Country using large charcoal samples, provides a more precise timeline for this species' expansion in managed Sahelian landscapes, offering new insights into historical land-use dynamics in West Africa.
The Singing Prophet of the Dogon. A Nineteenth Century Voice on Dogon-Fulbe Relations and his Legacy
A body of 19th-century Dogon songs, known as baja ni, preserves previously unrecognized historical insights into the relationship between the Dogon and Fulbe peoples during the Macina realm. These songs, attributed to a blind poet-prophet named Abirè Goro, continue to play a role in Dogon funeral rituals and contain prophecies that have gained new relevance amid ongoing conflicts between the two groups. The study analyzes these oral traditions as a unique archive of social history, linking Dogon identity and future prospects to broader Mande cultural narratives.
Islam and the Oral History of Mali
This study reveals that Islam and pre-Islamic culture in Mali have coalesced into a seamless synthesis over 1290 years, defying simplistic distinctions between the two. By analyzing medieval Arabic sources alongside oral histories of mysterious disappearances and leadership genealogies, the research demonstrates how Muslim narratives—such as those involving Songhai Askia Muhammad—integrate Dogon traditions, including prophecies and animist practices, into broader Islamic frameworks. The village of Semari, historically off-limits to Muslims, exemplifies this syncretism, with its ties to Kangaba (linked to the Manden) legitimized through Islamic references like 'Manden Kaaba.' The findings underscore Mali's cultural identity as inherently dual: equally rooted in pre-Islamic and Muslim traditions without clear separation.
Risks and Benefits of Weight Gain in Children With Undernutrition
A 21-year longitudinal study of children in the Dogon villages of Mali's Bandiagara Escarpment reveals that weight gain during early childhood, while associated with modest increases in adult systolic blood pressure and obesity prevalence, offers significant benefits in terms of adult height. The research, involving over 1,300 participants, found that a one-standard-deviation increase in childhood weight was linked to a 3-4 cm taller stature in adulthood for both males and females, outweighing the risks of hypertension and obesity. This suggests that in undernourished populations, careful weight management during early years could enhance long-term health outcomes without significantly increasing cardiovascular risks.
Layers of Lexical Borrowing in Long-Term Contact Rooted among Ancient Crops from Mali’s Bandiagara Region
Research reveals that the linguistic landscape of Mali's Bandiagara Region, home to six distinct language groups, has been shaped by layers of lexical borrowing over centuries. The study suggests that current plant-related vocabulary shares deeper connections with ancient botanical knowledge, likely influenced by early agricultural practices such as pearl millet domestication around 5,000 years ago. This long-term contact is further linked to the Mande Expansion and West African trade routes, indicating a complex history of cultural exchange rooted in the region's fertile terrain and defensible geography.
Analysis of Technical Efficiency and Determinants of Cereal Production on Family Farms in the Dogon Plateau in Mali
Family farms on the Dogon Plateau in Mali exhibit an average technical efficiency of 72.75%, indicating a potential loss of 27.25% in production factors. Notably, less than 20% of farms operate below this average. The study, using stochastic frontier production method and truncated regression on data from 400 farms, found that integrating agriculture with livestock, land tenure security, and cultivation of onion/shallot significantly enhance farm efficiency. Surprisingly, residual insecurity did not negatively impact technical efficiency. This research provides critical insights into optimizing agricultural productivity in arid, challenging environments.
Dan Nan Ambassagou, un mouvement d’autodéfense armé en pays dogon
Armed self-defense movements in the Dogon territory of Mali, such as Dan Nan Ambassagou, emerge as responses to both social and political transformations. This study reveals that these mobilizations are driven by factors including the emancipation of younger generations from established elites, competition for agricultural and pastoral land, and the redefinition of historical landscapes into political entities. The research analyzes the 2017 statement by Y. Toloba, highlighting a resistance to jihadist interpretations of Islam while advocating for the preservation of ancestral religious practices. By integrating social and political dynamics, the study provides insight into the complex drivers of insecurity in central Mali's Dogon region.
A grammar of Tiranige (Dogon, Mali)
Tiranige, a Dogon language spoken on the western cliffs of the Bandiagara Plateau in Mali, exhibits a unique grammatical structure that bridges two distinct linguistic subgroups. Unlike other western Dogon languages, Tiranige uses pronominal-subject agreement suffixes for first and second singular pronouns while employing preverbal subject proclitics for first and second plural pronouns. This distinction sets it apart from both the Najamba-Kindige-Bondu group to the northeast, which also uses suffixes, and the southwestern Dogon languages like Bunoge, which rely on proclitics across all person markers. The grammar provides a detailed reference with interlinear texts and translations, offering valuable insights into the linguistic diversity of the region.
Cloth is Money: Textiles from the Sahel
Contemporary textiles from the Sahel region, including examples from Mali and Niger, reflect centuries-old weaving techniques, designs, and materials dating back to the 11th–15th centuries. The exhibition 'Cloth is Money: Textiles from the Sahel' at Fitchburg Art Museum (FAM) highlighted this continuity by showcasing archaeological textile fragments from the Bandiagara escarpment in Mali alongside modern textiles. Curated by Jean Borgatti, the exhibit emphasized the enduring cultural significance of woven cloth in West Africa, tracing its origins to the trans-Saharan trade era that shaped medieval African empires like Ghana, Mali, and Songhai. The display also addressed provenance, acknowledging the historical journeys of these artifacts from their regions of origin to museum collections.
Ex Africa Aliquid Novum [There is something new coming from Africa]: Herman Haan and Aldo van Eyck’s Journeys in a Pseudo-Ethnographic Vein
Post-World War II European architects Herman Haan and Aldo van Eyck viewed Western African deserts not as mere margins to modernity but as dynamic spaces bridging urban metropolises and primordial landscapes. Analyzing their travel diaries, this study reveals that Haan's pseudo-ethnographic approach dissolved the binary between modernist design and Dogon habitation in Mali's Bandiagara cliffs, demonstrating how spatial experiences were internalized rather than externally imposed. The research challenges Eurocentric architectural narratives by showing a fluid relationship between Rotterdam and the Niger River region, reflecting broader post-colonial fascination with African landscapes.
First steps towards the detection of contact layers in Bangime: a multi-disciplinary, computer-assisted approach
A novel, computer-assisted approach reveals that the Bangime language, spoken by the genetically isolated Bangande people of Mali's Bandiagara Escarpment, exhibits extensive lexical borrowing from neighboring Atlantic, Dogon, Mande, and Songhai languages. This suggests historical contact despite genetic divergence from surrounding groups. The study proposes that the Bangande were part of the expansive Mali Empire (13th–16th centuries), offering a multidisciplinary framework to trace language contact layers using automated lexical comparisons refined through qualitative analysis.
Risk factors for placental malaria, sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine doses, and birth outcomes in a rural to urban prospective cohort study on the Bandiagara Escarpment and Bamako, Mali
A longitudinal cohort study on the Bandiagara Escarpment and Bamako, Mali, reveals that women who received no doses of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) during pregnancy experienced significantly worse birth outcomes compared to those who received three or more doses. These women were also younger and lacked primary school education, highlighting a critical gap in antenatal care access. The study found that pregnancies in urban areas, higher maternal education levels, births during the rainy season, and receiving ≥3 SP doses reduced the odds of placental malaria (PM). Severe PM infections were associated with decreased birth weight, length, and placental weight. The research used histological analysis of 317 placental samples collected from 249 mothers between 2011-2019 to assess PM infection stages and parasite density, employing generalized estimating equations for statistical modeling.
Caravans of Gold, Fragments in Time: Art, Culture, and Exchange across Medieval Saharan Africa curated by Kathleen Bickford
The exhibition 'Caravans of Gold, Fragments in Time' at the Block Museum of Art challenged Eurocentric narratives by centering Africa's role in medieval global trade networks (8th–16th centuries). It highlighted the Sahara as a hub for gold, salt, and intellectual exchange, juxtaposing archaeological fragments with intact artworks from West/North Africa, the Middle East, and Europe. The exhibition revealed Africa's sophisticated artistic innovation and economic influence during this period, particularly through trade in gold, which drew European attention. Key artifacts included gold-leafed manuscripts, terracotta figures, and ivory carvings, alongside didactic panels and video interviews that contextualized trans-Saharan trade routes. By emphasizing fragmentary evidence—such as Tellem textiles from the Bandiagara Escarpment and Chinese porcelain found in Mali—the exhibition demonstrated Africa's foundational role in shaping global medieval civilizations, deconstructing colonial-era perceptions of the 'Middle Ages.' The research approach combined curatorial scholarship with multimedia storytelling to bridge gaps between material culture and historical narratives.
No. 50936. United States of America and Mali
An international agreement between the United States and Mali, established in 1997, imposes import restrictions on archaeological materials from the Niger River Valley and Bandiagara Escarpment (Cliff of Bandiagara). This treaty aims to protect the cultural heritage of these regions by preventing the illegal export and trade of significant archaeological artifacts. The agreement underscores the importance of preserving the unique historical and cultural legacy of the Bandiagara Escarpment, which is renowned for its Dogon communities and their rich traditions. By regulating the movement of such materials, the treaty contributes to the global effort in safeguarding cultural heritage, ensuring that these irreplaceable treasures remain accessible for study and appreciation while mitigating the risks of looting and loss.
The strength of a cultural system: Cliff of Bandiagara (Land of the Dogons), Mali
The Cliff of Bandiagara, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Mali, stands out as one of the largest mixed (cultural and natural) sites globally, spanning 4,000 km². This region, also known as the Land of the Dogons, is home to 289 villages and showcases a unique cultural system that has thrived for centuries. The site's significance lies in its vast landscape, which includes plateaus, cliffs, and plains, providing insights into the resilience and adaptability of the Dogon people. The study highlights the interplay between human settlement patterns and natural geography, offering a rare glimpse into a traditional society deeply connected to its environment.
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