David Maranz Papers

A set of 341 manuscript cahiers (approx. 7” x 8” 32-page school notebooks) make up about 60 percent of the print portion of the collection, filling most of 2 record storage boxes. The remainder of the record box contents are a dozen associated notes and research materials removed from 3-ring binders and rehoused into file folders, along with a CD/ROM that includes files of most or all the transcribed notebooks and related research materials. In addition, ten wooden planks with examples of traditional pictograms marked with natural chalk are for use in teaching or exhibits. A linguist familiar with Senegal’s Wolof, Sèrèer (Serer), Saafi, and Canjin languages interprets the planks not as examples of indigenous cultural usage, but demonstrations of pictogram use in communication. Maranz’ own research includes examples of pictograms on cattle hides to identify ownership.

Maranz hired and led a team of three Senegalese field researchers: Aliou Dione, Adonis Sène, and Mandé Diop to work in rural areas, primarily around Thiès, Senegal (West Africa) in the early 1990s. They conducted and recorded interviews on audiotape relating to traditional knowledge and writing (pictogram) systems among Wolof, Canjin speakers (e.g. Saafi), and Fulfulde (Fulani or Peul) speakers. After the taped interviews were transcribed to French, tapes were reused (i.e. overwritten) or erased. The resulting cahiers are listed below as housed in two file boxes. Following these are a list of related, research notes, records, indexes, etc. While all of the notebooks were edited and transcribed to word processing files, they are preserved as the closest-to-primary records of this research. The list included is intended as an inventory and finding aid. As noted above, the collection includes a unique set of wood writing-slates or planches as Maranz refers to them.

Several numbering formats were employed by Maranz’ team to identify the interview records. The following prefixes were most often used (cross-referenced on notebook covers): AS-C##; NN###.# (with or without decimal); FNX-AD; FN####, N###.#; 2##.#; Cosmogonie (or Hiéroglyphes) Saafi ##; CanR###, COSAF, and COSSF. Original order is maintained with a few (formerly separated) items now placed in the main order. The cahiers are listed here in groups of ten to assist readers in locating the original transcripts and associated computer files and to compare the notebooks and computer transcriptions.

The pictograms and their meanings were collected among Manding, Maure, Peul Fulaadu, Saafi, and Serer-Sine ethnic groups in Senegal, Mauritania, and Guinea.