Monograph by Alexandra Sharova " Dogons. Ethno-cultural history" (Saarbrucken. Lambert Academic Publishing, 2013. 112 p. with illustrations) is devoted to the Dogon (one of the small peoples of West Africa) living in the territory of modern Mali - on the Bandiagara plateau and in the border regions of Burkina Faso. Their number, according to various estimates, is 400-800 thousand people. Dogons are engaged in hoe, terrace, and sometimes irrigation farming and cattle breeding. Large areas of fertile land are virtually inaccessible due to the widespread onchocerosis, a disease carried by river midges. The isolated location of Dogon land helped preserve archaic features of culture, religion, and social structure. In the monograph, the author tried to consider almost all aspects of Dogon life. The first part of the work is devoted to the origin, history and origins of the culture of the people. A. Sharova scrupulously examines and analyzes contradictory information. Even about the Dogon self-name, researchers disagree: "people from Do" (one of the centers of Ancient Mali); "people hidden in the rocks" 1; "younger brothers" (in relation to the neighboring Bambara and Malinke peoples), etc. The author considers the most probable origin of the Dogon from the country of Manden, located in the upper reaches of the Niger on the border of modern Mali and Guinea, which is confirmed by common features in mythology and culture. Much attention in the monograph is paid to the history of the Dogon. Although they never had their own statehood, for centuries they were part of such states as Mali, Songhai, Segou, Masina, Tekrour, Western Sudan (French colony) and the Republic of Mali. Political events in the history of African States have had little impact on this isolated people. As a rule, it was enough for the rulers that the Dogon recognized their power and paid tribute, and the Dogon benefited from the protection from nomads provided by the armies of the kingdoms. The second part ... Read more