Marks from the Past, Signs of the Future—the Dikenga of Historical Archaeology

Historical archaeology’s recognition of a mark known as the Bakongo dikenga and found on colonoware pottery, as well as other artifacts, is used to examine the history of this research and suggest its future progression. The dikenga is also used as a metaphor for historical archaeological inquiry. This article explores the intersection between personal experience and scholarly research within the cycle of theories and perspectives that influence archaeological progression and the study of the dikenga.