Notes on Traditional Market Authority and Market Periodicity in West Africa

bibliographic database
Line

Periodical article

Title:	Notes on Traditional Market Authority and Market Periodicity in West Africa
Author:	Hill, Polly
Year:	1966
Periodical:	The Journal of African History
Volume:	7
Pages:	295-311
Language:	English
Geographic term:	West Africa
Subjects:	marketplaces Peoples of Africa (Ethnic Groups) Economics and Trade History and Exploration
External link:	https://www.jstor.org/stable/179956
Abstract:	These notes are intended to draw attention to the neglect of a fascinating historico-anthorpological fields Everywhere in West Africa there is a standard 'market-week'. Few writers in English have been interested in mapping these weeks. or examining the relationship between then Existing geographical material establishes an association between 4- and 8-day market weeks as well some connexion between the 3- and 6day market weeks but there are effectively only 4 common market weeks, viz. 3-(or 6-) day, 4-(or 8-) day. 5-day and 7-day. The 7-day market week, prevailing throughout Hausaland and many other Islamized savanna districts, has existed for centuries throughout the Akan areas of southern Ghana and Abhanti. Its existence has not attracted the attention it derives The same applies to other questions as e.g. why the 4-day market week cuts right across some ethnic boundaries and not others. The article concludes with notes on the two traditional types of market taxation in West Africa, tolls and stall-rents, emphasjus-being laid on the traditional lack of market taxation in Eastern Nigeria, Notes.