Peopling of the Sahel during late Neolithic : New data from Kobadi site (Malian Sahel, 1700-1400 BC)
During 3rd and 2nd millenia BC, the aridification of the southern Sahara is considered to have caused the migration of the neolithic people towards the sahelian belt. One of these migrations has been hypothesized from Azawad, Hassi el-Abiod well area, to the Inner Delta of Niger. In this framework, Kobadi site (1700-1400 BC), located in the Mema area, has been regarded as one of the first settlements of the neolithic fishers/hunters from Azawad.
The technical and stylistic study of the whole ceramic corpus excavated in Kobadi, performed by the author during her doctoral research, and the review of Hassi el-Abiod collections permit to test the hypothetical link between Azawad and Mema. The existence of various technical traditions and decorative styles in Kobadi corpus and their echoes in Inner Delta of Niger, Azawad and Niamey area enable us to draw a new picture of the peopling of the sahelian belt, around the Niger river, during late Neolithic (3rd and 2nd millenium BC).