Le festin dahoméen. Femmes du palais, politiques internes et pratiques culinaires en Afrique de l’Ouest au XVIIIe-XIXe siècle

Feasting is a central component of elite power strategies in complex societies worldwide. In the precolonial Kingdom of Dahomey, located in the Republic of Bénin, public feasts were a critical component of royal strategies to attract and bind political subjects over the course of the 17th through 19...

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Main Authors: J. Cameron Monroe, Anneke Janzen
Format: Article
Language:deu
Published: Institut des Mondes Africains 2014-12-01
Series:Afriques
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/afriques/1632
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author J. Cameron Monroe
Anneke Janzen
author_facet J. Cameron Monroe
Anneke Janzen
author_sort J. Cameron Monroe
collection DOAJ
description Feasting is a central component of elite power strategies in complex societies worldwide. In the precolonial Kingdom of Dahomey, located in the Republic of Bénin, public feasts were a critical component of royal strategies to attract and bind political subjects over the course of the 17th through 19th centuries, a period of dramatic political transformation on the Bight of Benin. Archaeological excavations within the domestic quarters of a series of Dahomean royal palace sites have yielded diverse faunal and ceramic assemblages that represent clear examples of 1) ritualized food consumption and 2) everyday culinary practices. In this paper, faunal and ceramic evidence from two excavated contexts is marshaled to distinguish the archaeological signatures of feasting in Dahomey, highlighting the importance of private feasts in attempts to build political influence in the domestic zones of Dahomean royal palaces. In particular, this analysis foregrounds how palace women jockeyed for power and influence during a period of political uncertainty.
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issn 2108-6796
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spelling doaj-art-11e6df3ad36a458aaea8d92cf0805c892025-01-09T13:02:50ZdeuInstitut des Mondes AfricainsAfriques2108-67962014-12-01510.4000/afriques.1632Le festin dahoméen. Femmes du palais, politiques internes et pratiques culinaires en Afrique de l’Ouest au XVIIIe-XIXe siècleJ. Cameron MonroeAnneke JanzenFeasting is a central component of elite power strategies in complex societies worldwide. In the precolonial Kingdom of Dahomey, located in the Republic of Bénin, public feasts were a critical component of royal strategies to attract and bind political subjects over the course of the 17th through 19th centuries, a period of dramatic political transformation on the Bight of Benin. Archaeological excavations within the domestic quarters of a series of Dahomean royal palace sites have yielded diverse faunal and ceramic assemblages that represent clear examples of 1) ritualized food consumption and 2) everyday culinary practices. In this paper, faunal and ceramic evidence from two excavated contexts is marshaled to distinguish the archaeological signatures of feasting in Dahomey, highlighting the importance of private feasts in attempts to build political influence in the domestic zones of Dahomean royal palaces. In particular, this analysis foregrounds how palace women jockeyed for power and influence during a period of political uncertainty.https://journals.openedition.org/afriques/1632Dahomeypotteryfoodwaysgenderpowerpolitics
spellingShingle J. Cameron Monroe
Anneke Janzen
Le festin dahoméen. Femmes du palais, politiques internes et pratiques culinaires en Afrique de l’Ouest au XVIIIe-XIXe siècle
Afriques
Dahomey
pottery
foodways
gender
power
politics
title Le festin dahoméen. Femmes du palais, politiques internes et pratiques culinaires en Afrique de l’Ouest au XVIIIe-XIXe siècle
title_full Le festin dahoméen. Femmes du palais, politiques internes et pratiques culinaires en Afrique de l’Ouest au XVIIIe-XIXe siècle
title_fullStr Le festin dahoméen. Femmes du palais, politiques internes et pratiques culinaires en Afrique de l’Ouest au XVIIIe-XIXe siècle
title_full_unstemmed Le festin dahoméen. Femmes du palais, politiques internes et pratiques culinaires en Afrique de l’Ouest au XVIIIe-XIXe siècle
title_short Le festin dahoméen. Femmes du palais, politiques internes et pratiques culinaires en Afrique de l’Ouest au XVIIIe-XIXe siècle
title_sort le festin dahomeen femmes du palais politiques internes et pratiques culinaires en afrique de l ouest au xviiie xixe siecle
topic Dahomey
pottery
foodways
gender
power
politics
url https://journals.openedition.org/afriques/1632
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