Dr. Kevin MacDonald

But another thing which comes to mind is the degree, because again, you know, we're Part of NOC is on the Bennu, although it doesn't run quite right to allow things to flow through the area. But... It's remarkable the degree to which different areas of production can be concentrated. So years ago, I worked in a very ancient town in Mali called Diyar.

And in Diyar, there were a group of potters who had become specialists in making these particular sort of water pots called jidaga. And jidaga are really indispensable in the cell. They cool your water. They're the sort of a central point of any household is having a couple of really good jidagas. And they are a very typical wedding gift.

And in Diyar, there were a group of potters who had become specialists in making these particular sort of water pots called jidaga. And jidaga are really indispensable in the cell. They cool your water. They're the sort of a central point of any household is having a couple of really good jidagas. And they are a very typical wedding gift.

And in Diyar, there were a group of potters who had become specialists in making these particular sort of water pots called jidaga. And jidaga are really indispensable in the cell. They cool your water. They're the sort of a central point of any household is having a couple of really good jidagas. And they are a very typical wedding gift.

So, you know, if you're newlyweds, they get jidagas, but they get jidagas from these people in Diyan. And so every day, it would seem, a letter would travel upriver or downriver to these potters, and they would say, this is what we want on the pots, because they put, like, the people's names, and we need it delivered by this date.

So, you know, if you're newlyweds, they get jidagas, but they get jidagas from these people in Diyan. And so every day, it would seem, a letter would travel upriver or downriver to these potters, and they would say, this is what we want on the pots, because they put, like, the people's names, and we need it delivered by this date.

So, you know, if you're newlyweds, they get jidagas, but they get jidagas from these people in Diyan. And so every day, it would seem, a letter would travel upriver or downriver to these potters, and they would say, this is what we want on the pots, because they put, like, the people's names, and we need it delivered by this date.

And then every day there would be perogues of these water pots all stuck up, which would go downriver and sort of deliver them all the way along. So for more than 100 kilometers in both directions, custom water pots were being distributed. So you can imagine a situation with NOC. And we do. I mean, there is remarkably one NOC terracotta of two people in a boat. They definitely were using boats.

And then every day there would be perogues of these water pots all stuck up, which would go downriver and sort of deliver them all the way along. So for more than 100 kilometers in both directions, custom water pots were being distributed. So you can imagine a situation with NOC. And we do. I mean, there is remarkably one NOC terracotta of two people in a boat. They definitely were using boats.

And then every day there would be perogues of these water pots all stuck up, which would go downriver and sort of deliver them all the way along. So for more than 100 kilometers in both directions, custom water pots were being distributed. So you can imagine a situation with NOC. And we do. I mean, there is remarkably one NOC terracotta of two people in a boat. They definitely were using boats.

But you do think that people are commissioning these. I mean, maybe while you're alive, if you're a family leader, you go to this making area and they sort of do a portrait of you or some sort of caricature of you.

But you do think that people are commissioning these. I mean, maybe while you're alive, if you're a family leader, you go to this making area and they sort of do a portrait of you or some sort of caricature of you.

But you do think that people are commissioning these. I mean, maybe while you're alive, if you're a family leader, you go to this making area and they sort of do a portrait of you or some sort of caricature of you.

that they then supply to you maybe it's you know maybe if it's a point of pilgrimage or something you know you have to it's someplace you have to go to it's like going to the big city you go down there instead of getting your photograph made or your portrait painted or whatever you get on and you have a terracotta made of you if you're important and you bring it home and then you put it somewhere outside of your house or you use it in some sorts of ceremonies

that they then supply to you maybe it's you know maybe if it's a point of pilgrimage or something you know you have to it's someplace you have to go to it's like going to the big city you go down there instead of getting your photograph made or your portrait painted or whatever you get on and you have a terracotta made of you if you're important and you bring it home and then you put it somewhere outside of your house or you use it in some sorts of ceremonies

that they then supply to you maybe it's you know maybe if it's a point of pilgrimage or something you know you have to it's someplace you have to go to it's like going to the big city you go down there instead of getting your photograph made or your portrait painted or whatever you get on and you have a terracotta made of you if you're important and you bring it home and then you put it somewhere outside of your house or you use it in some sorts of ceremonies

But when you die, then it's so associated with you. At some point, it has to be broken. This is just me hypothesizing that.

But when you die, then it's so associated with you. At some point, it has to be broken. This is just me hypothesizing that.

But when you die, then it's so associated with you. At some point, it has to be broken. This is just me hypothesizing that.

Right, so if you're looking at narcoprenology, so they're coming into the area with polished stone and napstone artifacts and pottery. around 1500 BC. And then somewhere around 800 BC, the terracotta production begins and iron production begins, more or less the same time. I'm sure they don't map neatly onto each other, but at the level of resolution we have, that's what it looks like.