Granaries in Mali Granaries can be defined as an architectural typology of a collective - a general term for constructed volume in which grain or goods are stored so that they can be shared among a group at a later time. Their shapes, sizes and methods of construction vary depending on the essence of a particular place and people who wish for sustainable food self-sufficiency. The dry remote savannah area in the mid-section of Mali, stretching into Burkina Faso, the cliff of Bandiagara, creates harsh topographic and climatic conditions, the Dogon have proliferated from the cliff over to the plateau and into the plain where they developed agricultural methods to grow millet, rice, peanuts, and sorghum. Further west, closer to the Niger river the Bozo people share similar granaries methods. Granaries stand, dominating the domestic landscape; they appear taller than most structures - a symbol of prosperity. Constructed of mud, dung, and straw on a set of stone pillars, which adapt well to the uneven and steep topography. Each village will mostly include a diverse set of four granaries, each with a different number of compartments and use, constructed as a square in plan and crested with a conical thatch roof-hat. The first possesses a square base and the top belongs to the old men and contains the family shrines and ritual objects, and, a space for resting. The second type is small and round, with a conical top. It contains types of harvest. The two female granaries are characterized by a round top and contain millet seeds, the owner’s belongings, and ritual objects. Some hold their condiments, cooking utensils, and their personal effects. Thus, constructing the different granaries, asserts a constant mutual shaping between people and artefacts, through a process, of objectification of the body’s dynamic and material embodiment – a conception of containment which demonstrate human tradition and dynamics, materiality, and interactions with the earth. #africantypology #africa #adjayeafricaarchitecture #africanknowledge #africanknowledgesystems #adjaye #adjayeresearch