User:Jinruigaku/Daima Mound

Daima is a settlement mound located near the shores of Lake Chad, and about 5 kilometers from the frontier between Nigeria and Cameroon. Daima was first excavated in 1965 by archaeologist Graham Connah and his team. According to the excavation at Daima, it was revealed by the extensive use of radiocarbon dating that the Daima sequence covers a period beginning early in the first millennium B.C. and ending again early in the second millennium A.D. The Daima sequence covers then about 1800 years. Daima shows different kinds of changes throughout its history. These changes go from iron production to burial practices, clay figurines and pottery and house construction. The settlement at Daima was regularly abandoned, but it has been difficult to determine the extent to at which it happened. As a result of the excavation, it was also discovered great amounts of firki clay in the area in which Daima also sits. This clay was widely used in pottery as well as in clay figurines.

(economy) Daima ultimately provides an extensive history of human occupation and their practices. An intricate history of change in human thinking and acting as the environment changed and new practices and materials were obtained.

Iron
There is a vast amount of iron found at Daima. Out of all of this iron, the the earliest dates to about 500 A.D. Although it is unclear exactly how iron arrived at Daima, it must have changed the material culture significantly. Replacing stone and bone tools and weapons. Thanks to the arrival of iron, houses at Daima went from being made out of grass and wood, to being made out of mud, as iron tools made it easier to dig up the firki clay. Pieces of iron slag may indicate that iron was smithed at Daima, or at least smelted.

Clay figurines and pottery
Pottery and clay figurines were highly present at Daima. Early clay figurines usually depicted humpless cattle. As time went on, later figurines depicted humped cattle such as a zebu type of cow. According to the experts, this could be an indication of environment drying, as usually important animals are depicted; and as zebu cows are important in Africa because of their ability to survive in dry conditions. Pottery head rests. Clay figurines much later in time depicted birds, fish, wild animals, human beings, cows and sheep. Round -based pots were widely available throughout Daima's history. Flat-based pots were characteristic of the later history of the site, as well as a tripod-pot.

Houses and life activities
As mentioned above, before iron found its way to Daima, houses were made out of wood and grass. As iron arrived, house production shifted to clay and mud. Later occupants of the site built circular mud houses. Some of these houses had pavements made from broken potsherds arranged in neat patterns. Clay fireplaces are also found in the latest houses. it is believed that spinning and weaving were practiced.

Bronze
Bronze appears late in Daima's history. Some bronze works were made using the lost-wax casting technique. Since bronze is not found near the Chad Basin region, it may indicate trade with other places. Later in time, the use of glass, quartz, carnelian and Indian cowry shells is also appreciated. This heavily supports that the people at Daima were trading with other very different peoples.