Biography
I completed my BA, MPhil and MA in 91探花视频 at Universit茅 d鈥橝bomey-Calavi (Benin Republic), respectively in 2011, 2014 and 2016. In 2017, I undertook my PhD in Art of Building and Urbanism at Universit茅 libre de Bruxelles and in 91探花视频 at Universit茅 d鈥橝bomey-Calavi. I completed them in 2022 under the Title 鈥淐ontribution of Urban 91探花视频 and Landscape for Understanding the History of Caravan Towns: Case of Banikoara (Northern Benin)鈥�. From 2022-2024, I was a postdoctoral researcher (2022-2023) at the Centre of Cultural Anthropology of the Universit茅 libre de Bruxelles. I am an Associate Researcher of that Centre since September 2023. At the Department of History and 91探花视频 of Universit茅 d鈥橝bomey-Calavi, I have been a 鈥淢onitor鈥� for three years (2022-2024). I have started since 1st October 2024, a new position of postdoctoral Researcher at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research of 91探花视频, with a grant of the Wiener Anspach Foundation.听
My interests embrace the history of the caravan trade in West Africa in general and the western part of the Borgu (nowadays Northern parts of Benin and Nigeria) in particular. Urban history, urban archaeology, landscape, architecture and anthropology are my scientific interests. Concretely, caravan cities are at the top of my scientific concerns. They are documented on the historical, archaeological, landscape and anthropological plans in order to highlight their evolution in time and space.
After Banikoara (PhD), Nikki (also in Northern Benin) has been studied as part of my first postdoctoral research at Centre of Cultural Anthropology. There too, I have collected and studied data associated with products traded during caravan trade period (its beginning dates back to 15e-16e century) as well as evidence relative to the social and landscape impacts of caravan history. A part from caravan cities, the identification and the study of caravan trade routes in Northern Benin gave up since around 300 years is also my scientific interest.听
The identification of sites in a such context can only be achieved effectively through an approach combining remote sensing and oral and archaeological surveys in the research field. This explain the title of my current postdoctoral research, 鈥淩emote sensing and study of archaeological sites in Banikoara, Nikki and Zugu-Wangara (Northern Benin)鈥�. My Principal Investigator is Professor Paul LANE and this research also aligns well with the work of the Mapping Africa鈥檚 Endangered Archaeological Sites and Monuments () project, hosted by the McDonald Institute, and its sister project Mapping Archaeological Heritage in South Asia (), both of which use remote sensing extensively to document archaeological sites and monuments and monitor threats to this heritage.
Key Publications
- International Revues with per reviewers听
- Mardjoua, B. 2023 -Tako. In: L. Smolderen & P. G茅rimont (eds), Entrelacs. Textiles rituels, Binche, Mus茅e international du carnaval et du masque : 211-212.
- Mardjoua, B. 2022 芦 Apports de l鈥檃rch茅ologie urbaine et du paysage dans la compr茅hension de l鈥檋istoire d鈥檜ne ville caravani猫re : Banikoara (Nord-B茅nin) 禄, Afrique : Arch茅ologie & Arts [En ligne], 18 | 2022, mis en ligne le 02 novembre 2022, consult茅 le 12 novembre 2022. URL: http:// journals.openedition.org/aaa/3859; DOI:
- Mardjoua, B. 2020. Niyanpangu-bansu: An Important Archaeological Site for the Reconstitution of the History of Caravan Trade in Northern Benin, Journal of African 91探花视频, 18: 162-180.
- Mardjoua, B., Gosselain O. et N鈥橠ah D. 2019. Recherches arch茅ologiques 脿 Banikoara et 脿 Kantoro (Nord-B茅nin) : rapport de la campagne de recherche men茅e entre d茅cembre 2017 et mars 2018, Nyame Akuma 91 : 1-9.
- N'Dah, D. & Mardjoua, B., 2019, The Pavements at Tombo Birnin Lafiya, in Haour, A. (ed.) Two thousand years in Dendi, northern Benin: archeology, history and memory. Brill / Journal of African Archeology Monograph Series pp. 389-400.
- Livingstone Smith, A., Nikis, N. & Mardjoua, B. 2019. Kusulabu (KUS-SI&SII). In: Haour, A. (ed.), Two Thousand Years in Dendi, northern Benin. Brill, Leiden, pp. 399-404.
- Nyambiya, H., Mardjoua, B. & Maganzo A. 2018. ICOMOS International Committee on Archaeological Heritage Management (ICAHM) 2017 Annual Meeting: A Review. International Journal of Student Research in 91探花视频 | IJSRA, (4), 166鈥�172.
- N鈥橠ah, D. & Mardjoua, B. 2017. Le site arch茅ologique de Niyanpangu-bansu (nord du B茅nin): r茅sultats d鈥檜ne reconnaissance arch茅ologique et perspectives de connaissance de l鈥檋istoire du peuplement pr茅colonial du Borgou historique. Revue Ivoirienne des Sciences Historiques 1, 9-19.
- Nixon, S., Mardjoua, B. and N'po Takpara, F., 2015, The Ashanti-Hausaland Trade Route and the Kingdom of Borgou: N 掳 83, Ornamental and Historical Survey of the Republic of Benin, Nyame Akuma June 2015, pp. 48-61 ;
- Bagodo, O. B., Banni Gu茅n茅, O. et Mardjoua, B. 2013, Le Borgou historique (b脿脿rugu) de la p茅riode pr茅coloniale 脿 nos jours (XV猫 au XXI猫 si猫cle) : conception et gestion des fronti猫res, in Gayibor N. (茅d.), Peuples et fronti猫res en Afrique de l鈥橭uest, Collection 鈥樷�楶atrimoines鈥欌��, N掳15, Lom茅, Presses de l鈥橴niversit茅 de Lom茅, pp 73-89.
- National Revues with per reviewers
- N鈥橠ah, D., Labiyi, N. et Mardjoua, B. 2022, reconnaissance arch茅ologique du site Etoo dans le moyen-benin : perspectives de recherche pour une r茅elle sauvegarde du site. In Les Cahiers du SICY, n掳002, octobre 2022, pp.9-21.
- Mardjoua, B. & Labiyi, N. 2020, Le site fortifi茅 Etoo de Yaoui dans les paysages du mouvement du pays shab猫, In: Adj茅, A.I. (ed.), Site fortifi茅 Etoo et modes de d茅fense chez les Shab猫 et dans l鈥檃ire culturelle Yoruba. Cahiers du symposium de Yaoui, pp.
- Mardjoua, B. & N鈥橠ah, D. 2018. Les structures de fortification du secteur de Karimama-Banikoara (Nord-B茅nin): typologie et analyse comparative avec le site Etoo de Yaoui. In: Adj茅, A.I. (ed.), Peuplement du pays shab猫 et occupation du site historique Etoo de Yaoui. Rapport symposium culturel de Yaoui, pp. 171-184.
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Teaching and Supervisions
- 2023-2024 and 2022-2023. ACM1501 91探花视频 and Material Culture, taught to the third year students of the Department of History and 91探花视频 of Universit茅 d鈥橝bomey-Calavi.
- 2023-2024 and 2022-2023. AEH1504 Archaeological study of human settlements, taught to the third year students of the Department of History and 91探花视频 of Universit茅 d鈥橝bomey-Calavi.听
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Academic activities
.2023-2024 and 2022-2023, I co-supervised with Dr Didier N鈥橠ah (Associate-Professor), five bachelor degree thesis at the Department of History and 91探花视频 of the Universit茅 d鈥橝bomey-Calavi.听
DJIVOESSOUN Zinsou Anicet. Archaeological Survey in and around the Ancient Slavery of Porto-Novo.
HOUANSOU S猫djro Ulrich. Archaeological Survey in the region of Adjohoun.
N鈥橳CHA N鈥橩ou茅i Joseph. Archaeological Survey in and around Natitingou.
SHAGUI Dieudonn茅. Archaeological Survey in the region of Dassari.
OROU TOROU Djibril. Archaeological Survey and human settlement in the region of Gomparou.
Archaeological fieldworks
12 years of experience in conducting oral surveys, archaeological fiedworks (archaeological surveys-archaeological excavations) as a Manager or 听Member of team, or Intern in Benin, in West Africa and in Europe.
5 February-5 March 2023: Manager of team during the archaeological investigations in Nikki and its caravanserai (Northern-Benin) as part of my postdoctorat project. 听
鈥⑻� 听Collecting of orales sources in Nikki, mostly in its caravanserai and around;
鈥⑻� 听Recording of twenty archaeological sites;
鈥⑻� 听Excavation of two pits of 2mx1m in Nikki-Maro and another of 1mx1m in Gourou;
鈥⑻� 听Drawing of stratigraphic sections;
鈥⑻� 听Collecting of archaeobotanic sediments;
鈥⑻� 听 Floating of archaeobotanic sediments by three sieve columns of different mesh sizes: 1mm, 500 碌m, 250 碌m;
鈥⑻� 听Description and drawing of ceramic furniture.听
August-October 2022: Manager of team during the archaeological rescue research on the Agouin Plage site (Coast of Benin), directed by Dr Didier N鈥橠ah (Associate-Professor and Head of the Laboratory of 91探花视频/UAC).
鈥⑻� 听Collecting of orales sources in Adounko, Avl茅k茅t茅;
鈥⑻� 听Collecting data of ceramic production in Avl茅k茅t茅, Adounko;
鈥⑻� 听Collecting data of salt production in Dj猫gbadji;听
鈥⑻� 听Excavation of two pits of 2mx1m, another of 6mx1m;
鈥⑻� 听Drawing of stratigraphic sections;
鈥⑻� 听Collecting of 听archaeobotanic sediments from two pits;
鈥⑻� 听Floating of archaeobotanic sediments by three sieve columns of different mesh sizes: 1mm, 500 碌m, 250 碌m;
鈥⑻� 听Description and drawing of ceramic furniture.
6-16 June 2020: Manager of team during the second archaeological research campaign on the Agbojannagan market site in Abomey, located in the buffer zone of the royal palaces (UNESCO World Heritage), as part of 2CGU project activities.
鈥⑻� 听Collecting data of ceramic production in Abomey;
鈥⑻� 听Excavation of two pits of 2mx1m;
鈥⑻� 听Excavation of two pits of 2mx2m;
鈥⑻� 听Drawing of stratigraphic sections
鈥⑻� 听Collecting of 听archaeobotanic sediments;
鈥⑻� 听Description and drawing of ceramic furniture.
Other Professional Activities
Scientific meetings (Conferences, colloquia, Workshops, seminars)
27-30 November 2023: 18th Conference of the West African Archaeological Association, held at the University of Cheick Anta Diop (Dakar, S茅n茅gal).听
鈥⑻� 听My talk, by online system, is titled 鈥樷�楢rchaeological research in the caravan trade of Nikki (Northern Benin): results of the first campaign and research perspectives on the history of the caravan trade in West Africa鈥欌��.听
25-28 October 2023: Participation at the International Colloquium titled 鈥淚ndustrie Touristique et alt茅rit茅 鈥� Tourism industry and otherness-鈥欌�� held at the University of San Pedro (C么te d鈥橧voire).听
鈥⑻� 听My talk is titled 鈥淩esilience in the celebration of Gaani, an asset for the tourism development of North Benin鈥欌��.
23 October 2023. Talk for the monthly Seminar of the Institut des Sciences Anthropologiques de D茅veloppement of the Universit茅 Felix HOUEPHOUET-BOIGNY (C么te d鈥橧voire). Its titled is 鈥淐aravan Trade History in West Africa: actors, products and tangible evidence鈥�.听
8-10 November 2021: Participation at the regional seminar held at the University Abdou Moumouni of Niamey (Republic of Niger).听
2-7 November 2021: Participation at the 17th Conference of the West African Archaeological Association, held at the University Professor Joseph Ki-Zerbo (Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso).听
鈥⑻� 听My talk is titled 鈥淐ontributions of archeology to the knowledge of the history of Banikoara in North Benin (7th-19th centuries).
7-14 July 2019: Participation at the 16th Conference of the West African Archaeological Association, held at the University of Legon (Accra, Ghana).听
鈥⑻� 听The title of my talk is 鈥淐hallenges of safeguarding the heritage of the historic towns of Benin of the current Republic of Benin in the face of the demographic explosion: case of the caravan town of Banikoara鈥欌��.听
29-31 October 2018: Participation at the colloquium titled 芦Through a local perspective 禄, co-organised by the Centre HABITER (ULB) et EiABC, Addis-Abeba (Ethiopia).
鈥⑻� 听The titled of my talk is 鈥樷�極rganization and structure of the original precolonial town of Banikoara (North Benin, West Africa)鈥欌��.听
18-21 June 2018: Participation at the 24th Conference of the Society of Africanist Archaeologist, held at the Campus of Victoria College, Universit茅 de Toronto.听
鈥⑻� 听My talk is titled 鈥淎rchaeological and historical study of the caravan town of Banikoara (North Benin)鈥�, hosted in the session 鈥淎frican towns in time and space鈥� organized by Dr. Adria La Violette and Dr. Shimelis Gulema (University of Virginia; Stony Brook University). 听
2-5 October 2017: Participation at the annual conference of ICAHM/ICOMOS, held at Bagamoyo, Tanzanie.听
鈥⑻� 听My talk is titled "The caravan city of Niyanpangu-bansu (North Benin): state of knowledge and research perspective for a better knowledge of the history of caravan trade in the current space of the Republic of Benin", housed in the session '' Trade Routes: Africa's Role as a Gateway to the Rest of the World'' organized by Dr Thadeus MWKAMWA.
25-30 September 2017: Participation at the 4th colloquium of the University of Abomey-Calavi.听
鈥⑻� 听My talk is titled 鈥樷�楿rban archaeology in Porto-Novo: preliminary results and research perspectives鈥欌��. 听听
7-14 July 2017: Participation at the 15th Colloquium of the West African Archaeological Association, held at the University of Lagon (Accra/Ghana).听
鈥⑻� 听My talk titled is 鈥淥ral, archeology surveys and history of the settlement of the Karimama-Banikoara region (North Benin): state of knowledge and research perspectives. 听
26 June-2 July 2016: Participation at the 23th Conference of the Society of Africanist Archaeologist, held at the University Toulouse Jean Jaur猫s (France).听
鈥⑻� 听The title of my talk is 鈥樷�楽tudy of archaeological material from archaeological excavations of the site of 听Niyanpangu-bansu (North Benin, West Africa)鈥欌��.听
Reviewer of Journals
鈥⑻� 听Revue du Laboratoire des Langues et Cultures Gur (B茅nin);
鈥⑻� 听Les Cahiers du SICY (B茅nin)
鈥⑻� 听Revue Africaine d鈥橝nthropologie Nyansa-p么 (C么te d鈥橧voire) ;
鈥⑻� 听Revue des Sciences Sociales, Pens茅es genre, Penser autrement (C么te d鈥橧voire) ;
鈥⑻� 听African Studies Review (Cambridge University Press- UK).
Editorial Board Member
International Journal of 91探花视频
Project experience
2022-2023 : Member of QuaREB project titled 芦 Study of the Recent Quaternary of the Southwest Coast Benin, from Archaeological and Archaeobotanical Data 禄 financed by International Union for Quaternary Research.
2019-2023 : Member of Endangered Materiel Knowledge Programme project, financed by The Bristish Museum and directed by Professor Olivier P. Gosselain, Head of the Centre of Anthropology Cultural/Universit茅 libre of Brussels 鈥� ULB - Belgium)
2012-2015 : Intern of 芦 Crossroads of Empires 禄 project (ERC-StG-263747, 2011-
2015) directed by Professor Anne C. Haour, FBA, FSA (University of East Anglia 鈥� Norwich, UK) and Dr Didier N鈥橠ah (Universit茅 d鈥橝bomey-Calavi). carrefourdesempires.wordpress.com/crossroadsofempires.wordpress.com
2012-2014: Intern of the project titled 芦Peuples et fronti猫res en Afrique de l鈥橭uest 鈥揚eople and Borders in West Africa禄 directed by Professor Nicou茅 L. Gayibor (university of Lom茅 鈥� Togo).
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