BÉNIN  
Projet benino-danois d'archéologie (BDArch)

Mapping of the caves has clearly demonstrated that the limits of their distribution coincide with the borders of the ancient kingdom of Dahomey . This area is today very heavily populated and - as the analysis of soils has showed - has been intensely used for agricultural purposes and populated for centuries. The caves are discovered both as single specimens in remote places, and as small (up to 20) as well as big (up to several hundreds) clusters in the vicinity of settlements. In several cases it is possible to follow the development and change of cave types on the lands of a single village. Not surprisingly, the cave sites correspond to the settlements and agricultural land in the highly populated areas. (Fig. 8).

Fig. 8 At the village of Saklo several types of caves are represented.