Dogon settlement at the base of the Bandiagara escarpment. Near Sanga, Mali

"For safety's sake, the Dogon built their houses only on defendable spots. On top of the plateau the villages were built beside steep-walled gorges accessible only by foot. At the base of the cliff face, the fallen boulders and loose rock offered some protection against a mounted attack as well as an opportunity to spot raider parties from afar. If the pressure became too great, the Dogon could flee into the caverns inside the sandstone cliffs." [Hollyman S. and Van Beek W., 2001: Dogon, Africa's People of the Cliffs. Harry N Abrams, Inc.]. During his trip to Mali, Elisofon visited the Dogon people in Sanga (Sangha), a group of thirteen villages lying east of Bandiagara at the top of an escarpment. The most important villages are Ogol-du-Haut and Ogol-du-Bas. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon was on assignment for National Geographic and traveled to Africa from January 19, 1972 to mid April 1972.