Mande/Manding Scripts
It has been assumed that West Africa had been introduced to writing by the Arabs. This is evidently untrue because of the demands of trade; scripts were invented by African trader groups. This especially held true for the Mande/Manding speaking groups who are now recognized as the inventors of several scripts. They were derived from a proto-Mande script invented thousands of years ago by the ancestors of the Mande when they lived in Sahara at the time it was fertile. This proto-Mande script was used by the ancient Mande to write or engrave inscriptions throughout the Western Sahara. This script was a syllabary similar to the Vai script. Mande scripts were invented by traders to keep their business records. These scripts were created by
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the demands of long distance trade. They were created by merchants to help them keep records of their business transactions and were later used as a means of preserving religious doctrines and writing obituaries.
Evidence suggests that copper and gold were the early items offered in trade by the Mande. The Mande language consists of two groups: Mande Tan and Mande Fu. The speakers of the Mande Tan group live mainly in the north. The second group, Mande Fu, includes the Malinke-Bambara-Dyula cluster. There are still debates concerning the age of the Mande language. The Mande speakers were part of the ancient Maa or Fish Confederation. The Maa confederation consisted of the ancient Egyptians, Elamites, Sumerians and Dravidians, in addition to the Mande and other Niger-Congo groups. During the proto-Saharan period, they had domesticated cattle in the Western Sahara. This was as early as 5,000 BC, indicated by the appearance of painted slabs portraying cattle with rope around their necks. The proto-Mande occupied an area extending from the Western Sahara to the Fezzan in southern Libya. Mande speakers were generally established early in the southern Sahara and around 3,000 BC, Mande speakers spread into Eastern and Western branches. Mande began to migrate to their present area of habilitation. Around 2,000 BC the Mande founded Karkarichinkat and Dar Tichitt. The Mande communities in Mauritania at Dar Tichitt and those in the Fezzan communicated with
each other by chariots. Due to the demands of the Transsaharan trade the Mande invented their own script. This proto-Mande script was also used by other members of the Maa confederation including the Egyptians. The proto-Mande script was probably invented sometime before 4,000 BC, because by 3,100 BC, the proto-Saharan tribes separated. The earliest Mande inscriptions found so far were located at Qued Mertoutek which has been dated to 3,000 BC. The ancient Mande wrote on stone, wood, and dried palm leaves. Ink was made from soot and liana. The proto-Mande script has around 200-250 signs and around 40 different forms. The inscriptions are read from left to right or top to bottom. It is not an alphabetic script as many scholars assume. It is syllabic. Up to this day the Manding writing is used by members of the Manding secret societies.
the demands of long distance trade. They were created by merchants to help them keep records of their business transactions and were later used as a means of preserving religious doctrines and writing obituaries.
Evidence suggests that copper and gold were the early items offered in trade by the Mande. The Mande language consists of two groups: Mande Tan and Mande Fu. The speakers of the Mande Tan group live mainly in the north. The second group, Mande Fu, includes the Malinke-Bambara-Dyula cluster. There are still debates concerning the age of the Mande language. The Mande speakers were part of the ancient Maa or Fish Confederation. The Maa confederation consisted of the ancient Egyptians, Elamites, Sumerians and Dravidians, in addition to the Mande and other Niger-Congo groups. During the proto-Saharan period, they had domesticated cattle in the Western Sahara. This was as early as 5,000 BC, indicated by the appearance of painted slabs portraying cattle with rope around their necks. The proto-Mande occupied an area extending from the Western Sahara to the Fezzan in southern Libya. Mande speakers were generally established early in the southern Sahara and around 3,000 BC, Mande speakers spread into Eastern and Western branches. Mande began to migrate to their present area of habilitation. Around 2,000 BC the Mande founded Karkarichinkat and Dar Tichitt. The Mande communities in Mauritania at Dar Tichitt and those in the Fezzan communicated with
each other by chariots. Due to the demands of the Transsaharan trade the Mande invented their own script. This proto-Mande script was also used by other members of the Maa confederation including the Egyptians. The proto-Mande script was probably invented sometime before 4,000 BC, because by 3,100 BC, the proto-Saharan tribes separated. The earliest Mande inscriptions found so far were located at Qued Mertoutek which has been dated to 3,000 BC. The ancient Mande wrote on stone, wood, and dried palm leaves. Ink was made from soot and liana. The proto-Mande script has around 200-250 signs and around 40 different forms. The inscriptions are read from left to right or top to bottom. It is not an alphabetic script as many scholars assume. It is syllabic. Up to this day the Manding writing is used by members of the Manding secret societies.