DJENNÉ DJENO

2 km southeast of Djenné, you can visit Djenné Djeno, the archaeological site of the old Djenné. Before visiting the museum, it is advisable to visit the museum, located in the cultural mission. It gathers a collection of beautiful pieces, mainly pottery and statuettes, updated as a result of archaeological excavations on the Djenné Djeno site. Although research continues, most of the site appears to have delivered its secret, thanks to the work of Susan and Roderick MacIntosh, between 1977 and 1981.

By demonstrating that Djenné Djeno was already a thriving city before the first Arab merchants were installed, they discovered the oldest known city in sub-Saharan Africa. The first occupation, highlighted by the traces of the wall in a circle around it, was dated, thanks to carbon 14, to 250 years BC According to the extracted elements, Djenné Djeno was already an important crossroads of trade around 800 BC and housed several thousand inhabitants. Its golden age would be in the th century.

The city occupies an essential place in river traffic and caravans from West Africa until the beginning of the th century. In the th century, trade eroded, to the benefit of Djenné. It was at that time that it suddenly abandoned. Several hypotheses have been established to try to explain this phenomenon. But for many, the site's desertion would have been programmed to appease the powerful Muslim elite, offended by the city's past pagan practices. If the two sites had to coexist at a time, the influence of Muslims probably forced the entire population to emigrate to Djenné, a devout city.

Built on a small hill on the edge of the Niger, the archaeological site is devoid of buildings. Foundations are even difficult to identify without the explanations of an excellent guide (the best, in this case, being the leader of the cultural mission). The remnants of pottery, over seven centuries old, on which we can still see geometric shapes and drawings, are impressive. They litter the soil at a loss of sight, so you cannot avoid walking on it. Curious feelings!