Potter Communities and Technological Tradition in the Lower Tilemsi Valley, Mali

The Lower Tilemsi Valley, in northeastern Mali has yielded some of the earliest dates in the mid- to late 3rd millennium BC, for intensive use of fibre roulette tools. By the mid-1st millennium BC, fibre roulettes were found throughout the Middle Niger, and subsequently spread into much of sub- Saharan Africa. This paper considers the origins and developmental implications of this decorative technique. Furthermore, I examine inter-site variability in the Lower Tilemsi Valley pottery. Evident standardisation in the forming techniques of the Lower Tilemsi pottery seem to reflect a community level process of learning in which the size, shape and function of pots were considered shared aspects of a regional ‘style’. The surface decoration and, in particular, development of fibre tools, such as twisted cord roulettes and cord-wrapped elements, on the other hand, reflect seeming experimentation and site-specific expressions of village identity.