Excavating Essouk-Tadmakka (Mali): new archaeological investigations of early Islamic trans-Saharan trade

Abstract

This paper reports the first systematic excavations at Essouk-Tadmakka (Mali), one of the major West African trading towns that enabled the unprecedented flourishing of trans-Saharan trade during the early Islamic era (c. AD 650-1500). The 6.5 m excavated sequence (dating from the mid-first millennium AD to c. 1400) significantly improves understanding of Essouk-Tadmakka's 'prehistoric' and historic periods and, in doing so, provides a wealth of new evidence to help answer key questions about early Islamic trans-Saharan trade. Firstly, the excavations shed light on the changing scale of trade over time and space, providing unprecedented early (eighth/ninth century AD) evidence for extensive trade and new ideas about the geography of early trade routes. Additionally, new ideas are provided on socio-cultural developments in the trade, including changes that occurred both during the Almoravid expansion and the rule of the Empire of Mali. Lastly, the excavations significantly improve...