Some of the more interesting clay artifacts begin in Phase II with terra-cotta statuettes and representations of humans and animals on pottery. These statuettes are important to the understanding of Phase II because along with this art, the first evidence for large-scale rice cultivation and population rise. All of these attributes are commonly associated with complex, state-level societies. It is believed that these artifacts posed ritual function as opposed to a domestic function. Some of these clay figurines are similar to those made by modern
Fulani pastoralists for children, which might be evidence for the importance of domesticated cows at the site. One human statuette in particular has been the cause of much debate. It was found on a house floor around small bowls full of suspected offerings. Two others have been found in similar context 11 kilometers away from the site of Djenné-Djenno and it is hypothesized that they are the representations of a household spirit, as ancestral cults are known to have flourished in the area as late as the 20th century. (
New York City, USA) The raised marks and indentations on the back of this hunched Djenné figure may represent disease or, more likely, scarification patterns. The facial expression and pose could depict an individual in mourning or in pain Djenné-Djenno is famous for its terracotta figurines which depict humans and animals including snakes and horses. Before the site's excavation in 1977, many of these sculptures were in circulation, being sold as tourist souvenirs and fine art to the West. During this time, Mali was experiencing famine; and it was unlikely for many to be upset about any money that came into the country. The sale of cultural antiquities has been prohibited since 1970, with the creation of the
UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, which by agreement placed all such cultural property under protection. Conflict between ownership and control of artifacts still remains a problem in the region as well as in many other parts of the world as there is a difference between prohibitions and actual, domestic laws and international laws and treaties governing the exhumation, rights to ownership, export and import of such material. For instance, the US government only affected a ban on the importation of Malian antiquities in 1993. a b Other sculptures in West Africa have faced similar challenges. In Nigeria,
Nok culture figurines dating back as far as 800 BC also became popular in black market trade in the 1990s. The US and Nigeria signed a bi-lateral agreement on this matter only in 2022. While it is believed by some that little scientific work has been done on these figurines, and that most of them are in circulation around the globe today, the fact is there is insufficient data to determine how much material remains undiscovered. Recently, from Djenné-Djenno, in
Timbuktu cultural property has also been threatened. Ethical battles over antiquities are hard to define as "the conflicts are multifaceted, questions of innocence and guilt often – through not always – hard to pin down." Art dealers and collectors depend on such trade, while the looting of artifacts from archaeological sites destroys their historical context and clouds their integrity. One may also reasonably argue that objects left in the ground are under continuous pressure from floods, shifting earth and construction activities. It has been suggested by many to have a blackout of information on those figurines that were not excavated scientifically, which primarily includes black market items, as it is believed that drawing Western attention to these items would increase their market value. Some claim this could hurt art historians and dealers, as it would be difficult for them to know how to distinguish artifacts from fakes. However, there are both subjective and scientific means such as a combination of Thermoluminescent (TL) testing and CT scanning that can reliably identify fake and compromised (pastiche) works. File:Seated female figure, Jenne people, Inland Niger Delta region, Mali, c. late 13th to 17th century AD, terracotta - Krannert Art Museum, UIUC - DSC06149.jpg|Seated female figure; circa 12th to 15th century AD; terracotta;
Krannert Art Museum (
Illinois, USA) File:Bound figure, Jenne people, Jenne-Jeno, Inland Niger Delta region, Mali, c. 12th to 15th century AD, terracotta - Krannert Art Museum, UIUC - DSC06152.jpg|Bound figure; circa 12th to 15th century AD; terracotta;
Krannert Art Museum (
Illinois, USA) File:Mali, jenne, figura femminile in ginocchio, xv-xviii secolo 01.jpg|Female figure on her knees; 15th–18th century;
Indianapolis Museum of Art (USA) File:Mali, jenne, figura incurvata, xv-xviii secolo.jpg|Figure with arched back; 15th–18th century;
Indianapolis Museum of Art (USA) File:Statuette féminine-Région de Djenné-Mali.jpg|Female figure; 13th–15th century; terracotta covered with red ochre; height: 37.5 cm (14.7 in), width: 31 cm (12.2 in), depth: 24 cm (9.4 in);
Musée du quai Branly (Paris) File:Djenne Terracotta Archer (13th-15th cent).jpg|Figure of an archer; circa 13th–15th century File:Djenne Terracotta Equestrian (13th-15th cent).jpg|Equestrian figure; circa 13th–15th century File:Earthenware maternity scene, Djenné, inland Niger River Delta, 1100-1400.JPG|Maternity scene; 1100–1400;
De Young Museum (
San Francisco, USA) ==Agriculture and urban organization==