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Red Chalk Palimpsest: The Logic of Somba Landscape
[journal article]
Abstract This article presents the results of a study on the traditional settlement patterns of the Somba people, living in the department of Atacora, north-western Benin. Adopting a methodology based on both a generative approach and André Corboz’s (1983) territory-palimpsest analogy, the study specifically... view more
This article presents the results of a study on the traditional settlement patterns of the Somba people, living in the department of Atacora, north-western Benin. Adopting a methodology based on both a generative approach and André Corboz’s (1983) territory-palimpsest analogy, the study specifically questions the ‘dispersed’ character of the Somba habitat. Built upon two hypotheses, according to which Tatas Somba settle approximately to pre-existing Tatas and near to watercourses, this study seeks to understand the reasons and conditions of this dispersal throughout history. By cross-checking on-site inventory and geographic information system data allowing to analyse the distances between Tatas, archaeological sites and nearby watercourses, and thus revealing the permanent, the persistent, and the disappeared landscape elements, this article aims to prove that the settlement of the Tatas Somba is not determined by geometrical compositions, landmarks, or infrastructures, but rather by a combination of social, agricultural, environmental, and subsistence factors.... view less
Classification
Area Development Planning, Regional Research
Sociology of Settlements and Housing, Urban Sociology
Free Keywords
Atacora; Somba landscape; Tatas Somba; palimpsest; watercourses
Document language
English
Publication Year
2020
Page/Pages
p. 191-204
Journal
Urban Planning, 5 (2020) 2
Issue topic
Territories in Time: Mapping Palimpsest Horizons
ISSN
2183-7635
Status
Published Version; peer reviewed