IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/cog/urbpla/v5y2020i2p191-204.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Red Chalk Palimpsest: The Logic of Somba Landscape

Author

Listed:
  • Fabrice Noukpakou

    (Faculty of Architecture, Architectural Engineering and Urban Planning, UCLouvain, Belgium)

  • Ghita Barkouch

    (Faculty of Architecture, Architectural Engineering and Urban Planning, UCLouvain, Belgium)

  • Nawri Khamallah

    (Faculty of Architecture, Architectural Engineering and Urban Planning, UCLouvain, Belgium)

  • Renaud Pleitinx

    (Faculty of Architecture, Architectural Engineering and Urban Planning, UCLouvain, Belgium)

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 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.

Suggested Citation

  • Fabrice Noukpakou & Ghita Barkouch & Nawri Khamallah & Renaud Pleitinx, 2020. "Red Chalk Palimpsest: The Logic of Somba Landscape," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 5(2), pages 191-204.
    • Handle: RePEc:cog:urbpla:v5:y:2020:i:2:p:191-204
    DOI: 10.17645/up.v5i2.2796
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.cogitatiopress.com/urbanplanning/article/view/2796
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.17645/up.v5i2.2796?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:cog:urbpla:v5:y:2020:i:2:p:191-204. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: António Vieira or IT Department (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.cogitatiopress.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.