Work

Global Connections and Connected Communities in the African Past: Stories from Cowrie Shells

Year: 2023

Type: article

Abstract: Through the stories of four people who carried or traded cowrie shells, this article examines the connections between various parts of the world from a thousand years ago to the present. These connections spanned great distances, linking communities in West Africa and the Indian Ocean islands of the Maldives, and they bring to light the vast land and sea links that connected different regions of the African continent to the wider world in this period. We use cowrie shells to explore how objects participate in creating social relations, shaping senses of self and identity. When viewed in relation to the theme of connections, this offers a springboard for thinking about how things and their biographies fit within our lives today.

Source: African Archaeological Review

DOI: 10.1007/s10437-023-09546-5

Authors: Anne Haour, Abigail Moffett

Institution: University of East Anglia

Language: English

Topic: Global Maritime and Colonial Histories

Subfield: Anthropology

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,090

Funders: British Academy, University of East Anglia