Caption
Southwest corner of the ruined fortress in Loropéni, Burkina Faso. This archaeological site, surrounded by tall stone walls, covers an area of almost 10,000 sq. m. The earliest inhabited levels are believed to date from a period extending from the 11th to 15th centuries. Although the purpose of the ruins is still not fully understood, they may relate to the region's gold mines, which have been worked since 1000 AD. This research, being conducted as part of the Lobi-Or-Fort project, will provide insights as a result of a multi-disciplinary approach combining archaeology, geophysics, anthropology, geochemistry and 3D modelling.
