Editing History of Guinea-Bissau (section)

==Peoples==
Although the region's history has not yet been extensively documented with archaeological records, it had a population of [[hunter-gatherer]]s by 1000 CE. Agriculturists using iron tools soon followed.<ref name = Brit>{{cite web  | title=Early history | url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Guinea-Bissau/History| newspaper=Encyclopedia Britannica | access-date=20 August 2023 }}</ref>

The oldest inhabitants were the [[Jola people|Jola]], [[Papel people|Papel]], [[Manjak people|Manjak]], [[Balanta people|Balanta]], and [[Biafada people|Biafada]] peoples. The [[Mandinka people|Mandinka]] and [[Fula people|Fulani]] later migrated into the region, pushing the earlier inhabitants towards the coast.<ref name = Brit/><ref name="Rodney-1966">{{cite web |last=Rodney |first=Walter Anthony |date=May 1966 |title=A History of the Upper Guinea Coast, 1545–1800 |url=https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/31255/1/Rodney_History_Upper_Guinea_Coast.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200307115621/https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/31255/1/Rodney_History_Upper_Guinea_Coast.pdf |archive-date=2020-03-07 |url-status=live |access-date=24 November 2022 |website=Eprints}}</ref>{{rp|20}} A small number of Mandinka had been present in the region as early as the 11th century,<ref name="Wright-1987">{{cite journal |last=Wright |first=Donald R |date=1987 |title=The Epic of Kalefa Saane as a guide to the Nature of Precolonial Senegambian Society-and Vice Versa |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/3171842.pdf |journal=  History in Africa|volume=14 |pages=287–309 |doi=10.2307/3171842 |jstor=3171842 |s2cid=162851641 }}</ref>{{rp|6}} but they migrated ''en masse'' in the 13th century as [[Senegambia]] was incorporated into the [[Mali Empire]] by [[Kaabu]] founder [[Tiramakhan Traore]].<ref name="Archives-1980">{{cite web |date=1980 |title=Kaabu Oral History Project Proposal |url=https://archives.au.int/bitstream/handle/123456789/6326/Kaabu%20oral%20history%20project%20proposal_E.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y |access-date=24 November 2022 |website=Archives}}</ref> A process of "Mandinkization" followed.<ref name="Wright-1987"/>{{rp|6}} The Fulani arrived as early as the 12th century as semi-nomadic herders, but were not a large presence until the 15th century.<ref name = Brit/>

The Balanta and Jola had weak (or non-existent) institutions of kingship, with an emphasis on heads of villages and families.<ref name="Rodney-1966" />{{rp|64}} The Mandinka, Fula, Papel, Manjak, and Biafada chiefs were [[vassal]]s of kings with a variety of customs, rites, and ceremonies. Nobles commanded all major positions, however, which included the judicial system.<ref name="Rodney-1966" />{{rp|66, 67, 73, 227}} [[Social stratification]] was apparent in clothing and accessories, housing materials, and transportation options.<ref name="Rodney-1966" />{{rp|77–8}}

Commerce was widespread among the ethnic groups. Items traded included pepper and [[kola nut]]s from the southern forests, iron from the [[savanna]]h-forest zone, salt and dried fish from the coast, and Mandinka cotton cloth.<ref name="Old Men" />{{rp|4}} Products were commonly sold at markets and fairs, held every seven or eight days and sometimes attended by several thousand buyers and sellers from up to {{convert|60|mi|abbr=off}} away. Weapons were prohibited in the marketplace, and soldiers were positioned around the area to maintain order throughout the day. Market sections were allocated for specific products except for wine, which could be sold anywhere.<ref name="Rodney-1966" />{{rp|69–70}}