An outing of Dogon masks in Sangha, Mali. The 400,000 Dogon live 180 miles south of Timbuktu on the cliffs of Bandiagara, which dominate the plains for over 150 miles. They speak approximately 120 dialects. Because of the difficult approach to these regions and the aridity of the climate, the Dogon have been isolated and hence were able to conserve their ancient religious habits and ways of making their carvings. (Via Ali B. Timbiné / twitter) | African Drumming

The Dogon People of Mali The Dogon people of Mali possess ancient astronomical knowledge that predates modern science. Long before the invention of telescopes, the Dogon accurately described the Sirius star system, including Sirius B — an invisible, dense companion star with a 50-year orbital cycle. Their cosmology speaks of the Nommo, amphibious, non-human beings who descended from the sky and brought knowledge to humanity. According to Dogon tradition, the Nommo came from the Sirius system and