Quatre siècles d'histoire d'une région du Moogo

Four centuries of the history of a Moogo region. This article deals with the historical development of a region in Moogo country corresponding to the Yatenga Kingdom in Mossi territory (Burkina Faso). The period under examination extends from the end of the 15 th century (when the first conquerors to hold political power appared) till the end of the 19th century (when Yatenga became a French protectorate). Historical data about the precolonial settle ment of 426 villages and 2 194 « quarters » are divided into five series of events that, about the foundation of quarters, account for the historical development of : a) the earth priesthood ; b) metallurgy ; c) longdistance trade ; d) local power ; and e) court service. The aim of this research is to indicate a methodology for processing quantifiable data. After having caluclated chronologization rates for each series of events, an appropriate extrapolation can be used to propose five models that, together, provide a general view of historical developments in the region.