Hundreds of Ancient Mass Graves Discovered in Sahara Desert via Satellite Imagery
An international team of archaeologists from Macquarie University, France’s HiSoMA research unit, and the Polish Academy of Sciences has identified 260 previously unknown ancient mass graves in Eastern Sudan. Using satellite remote sensing across the Atbai Desert, a region within the broader Sahara, the researchers discovered large circular "enclosure burials" dating back to the fourth and third millennia BCE. These monuments, some up to 80 meters in diameter, contain the remains of humans and animals, including cattle, sheep, and goats, often arranged around a central primary burial. This arrangement suggests the emergence of social hierarchy and an elite class among prehistoric Saharan nomads, distinct from contemporary Pharaonic Egyptians. The findings, published in the African Archaeological Review, indicate that these nomadic communities held their livestock in high esteem and created cemetery spaces that were reused for millennia. The study provides significant insights into the social structures and cultural practices of desert-dwelling populations prior to the formation of territorial kingdoms in the region.
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Hundreds of Ancient Mass Graves Discovered in Sahara Desert via Satellite Imagery
An international team of archaeologists from Macquarie University, France’s HiSoMA research unit, and the Polish Academy of Sciences has identified 260 previously unknown ancient mass graves in Eastern Sudan. Using satellite remote sensing across the Atbai Desert, a region within the broader Sahara, the researchers discovered large circular "enclosure burials" dating back to the fourth and third millennia BCE. These monuments, some up to 80 meters in diameter, contain the remains of humans and animals, including cattle, sheep, and goats, often arranged around a central primary burial. This arrangement suggests the emergence of social hierarchy and an elite class among prehistoric Saharan nomads, distinct from contemporary Pharaonic Egyptians. The findings, published in the African Archaeological Review, indicate that these nomadic communities held their livestock in high esteem and created cemetery spaces that were reused for millennia. The study provides significant insights into the social structures and cultural practices of desert-dwelling populations prior to the formation of territorial kingdoms in the region.
The Conversation – Articles (AU)