Many West African societies have egalitarian political systems, with non-centralised distributions of power. Egalitarian Revolution in the Savanna analyses a wide range of archaeological data to explore the development of such societies. The volume offers a detailed case study of the village settlement of Kirikongo in western Burkina Faso. Over the course of the first millennium, this single homestead extended control over a growing community. The book argues that the decentralization of power in the twelfth century BCE radically transformed this society, changing gender roles, public activities, pottery making and iron-working. Egalitarian Revolution in the Savanna will be of interest to students of political science, anthropology, archaeology and the history of West Africa.

"A very readable book on a remarkable site, and one that will certainly push forward debates on social organisation.'"

Source: Journal of African Archaeology

"Egalitarian Revolution in the Savanna provides a theoretically nuanced, ethnographically grounded and archaeologically data-driven study of the dynamics of social, cultural and political change at Kirikongo in western Burkina Faso... Dueppen's narrative is compelling.'"

Source: Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa