An outing of Dogon masks in Sangha, Mali. The 400,000 Dogon live 180 miles south of Timbuktu on the cliffs of Bandiagara, which dominate the plains for over 150 miles. They speak approximately 120 dialects. Because of the difficult approach to these regions and the aridity of the climate, the Dogon have been isolated and hence were able to conserve their ancient religious habits and ways of making their carvings. (Via Ali B. Timbiné / twitter) | African Drumming

#HistoryMatters: A Focus on the Dogon People in Mali The Dogon people of Mali are believed to have originated in ancient Egypt, though they have stories of traveling from the Mande kingdom. What is known for sure is that they settled along the sandstone cliffs by the Bandiagara Escarpment probably during the 15th or 16th century. The Dogon people are known for their legends about their origins and knowledge about space and extraterrestrials. The Dogon people are also famous for their intricately