The Datoga blacksmiths of Lake Eyasi
By Stéphanie, Founder2 March 20265 min readCulture
1. The Datoga are pastoralists and metalworkers who live around Lake…
The Datoga are pastoralists and metalworkers who live around Lake Eyasi alongside the Hadzabe. The two communities trade: Datoga arrowheads for Hadzabe honey and meat.
2. In a Datoga homestead you will find an open-air forge,…
In a Datoga homestead you will find an open-air forge, goatskin bellows worked by hand, and scrap metal reworked into arrowheads, bracelets, rings and knives.
3. The women are extraordinary beadworkers, and their facial markings and…
The women are extraordinary beadworkers, and their facial markings and layered jewellery are part of a visual language of age, marriage and family.
4. A visit usually includes cooking with the family
A visit usually includes cooking with the family. It is slower and quieter than the hunt, and many travellers tell us afterwards that it was the part they remember most.
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Stéphanie, Founder
Published 2 March 2026
