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Djenné-Djenno
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Djenné-Djenno

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Also known as Jenne-Jeno, Djenne-Djenno

Djenné-Djenno (also Jenne-Jeno; ) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the Niger River Valley in the country of Mali. Literally translated to "ancient Djenné", it is the original site of both Djenné and Mali and is considered to be among the oldest urbanized centers and the best-known archaeological sites in West Africa.

Key facts

Historic site.name
Jenné-jeno
Historic site.location
Djenné Cercle, Mali
Historic site.designation1
WHS
Historic site.designation1_offname
Old Towns of Djenné
Historic site.designation1_date
1988
Historic site.designation1_type
Cultural
Historic site.designation1_criteria
iii, iv
Historic site.designation1_number
116-01
Historic site.designation1_free1name
State
Historic site.designation1_free1value
Mali
Historic site.designation1_free2name
Region
Historic site.designation1_free2value
List of World Heritage Sites in Africa
Historic site.designation2_free1name
Occupation Phase I
Historic site.designation2_free1value
250 BC–50 AD
Historic site.designation2_free2name
Occupation Phase II
Historic site.designation2_free2value
50 AD–300 AD
Historic site.designation2_free3name
Occupation Phase III
Historic site.designation2_free3value
300 AD–900 AD

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Country
Mali
Located in
Djenné Cercle
Image
Djenné Moschee.jpg
Sources (2)

via Wikidata · CC0

~15 min read

Encyclopedic overview

12 sections
Contents
  • History
  • Origins
  • Phase I
  • Phase II
  • Later Phases
  • Terra-cotta figurines from the Inner Niger Delta region
  • Agriculture and urban organization
  • Trade
  • Notes
  • Sources
  • Further reading
  • External links

Djenné-Djenno (also Jenne-Jeno; ) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the Niger River Valley in the country of Mali. Literally translated to "ancient Djenné", it is the original site of both Djenné and Mali and is considered to be among the oldest urbanized centers and the best-known archaeological sites in West Africa.

This archaeological site is located about from the modern town, and is believed to have been involved in long distance trade and possibly the domestication of African rice. The site is believed to exceed in area; however this is yet to be confirmed with extensive survey work. With the help of archaeological excavations mainly by Roderick and Susan McIntosh, the site is known to have been occupied from 250 BC to 900 AD. Previously, scholars did not believe that advanced trade networks and complex societies developed in West Africa until traders started coming from the north. However, sites such as Djenné-Djenno disprove this, as these traditions in West Africa flourished long before.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Djenné-Djenno” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

On the map

2 mapped locations