A short-stemmed, locally made clay smoking pipe, 3 views (center: view from side with pipe bowl to the left; top: view from top; bottom: view of base). Pipes like this were inspired by those used by America's First Peoples from whom Europeans learned about tobacco. Europeans introduced tobacco smoking to West Africa during the early centuries of trans-Atlantic trade. This pipe was recovered in pieces, which have been refitted. The pipe's bowl is outward flaring but is missing its rim. The bowl's base is flared and lobed (a "quatrefoil" form) and shows signs of wear/abrasion. The stem joins the bowl at its base (a "single-angled" form). The pipe stem is decorated with closely spaced incised lines, but its end and rim are missing. The bowl is decorated by bands of incised lines which bound zones of dentate impression. Dentate impressions mark the area between lobes on the base. The bowl's interior is blackened from use. Photo scale in cm. Site Makala Kataa. 3 July, 1989.
