There is a remarkable collection of stone circles and related monuments along the River Gambia in Gambia and Senegal in Western Africa. “The site consists of four large groups of stone circles that represent an extraordinary concentration of over 1,000 monuments in a band 100 km wide along some 350 km of the River Gambia. The four groups, Sine Ngayene, Wanar, Wasu and Kerbatch, cover 93 stone circles and numerous timuli, burial mounds, some of which have been excavated to reveal material that suggest dates between 3rd century BC and 16th century AD. Together the stone circles of laterite pillars and their associated burial mounds present a vast sacred landscape created over more than 1,500 years. It reflects a prosperous, highly organized and lasting society.” (UNESCO)
The comparative effort involved in the construction of these would seem to rival the creation of pyramids in Egypt or Moai on Rapa Nui (Easter Island). One can imagine whole segments of the society spending most of their time laboring on this huge complex of stone circles. “The stones forming the circles were extracted from nearby laterite quarries using iron tools and skillfully shaped into almost identical pillars, either cylindrical or polygonal, on average around 2 m in height and weighing up to 7 tons. Each circle contains between eight to fourteen standing stones having a diameter of four to six metres. The four megalithic sites inscribed bear witness to a prosperous and highly organized society with traditions of stone circle constructions, associated with burials, and persisting in certain areas over more than a millennium.” (UNESCO)
Sine Ngayene: “Sine Ngayene is the largest of the four areas, and home of 52 stone circles, one double circle, and 1,102 carved stones. It is generally accepted that the single burials found here predate the multiple burials that are associated with the construction of the stone circles. The site of Sine Ngayene is located just northwest of Sine, Senegal. In 2002, an expedition was launched in the Petit-Bao-Bolong drainage tributary; it was called Sine- Ngayene Archaeological Project (SNAP). The team found iron smelting sites and quarries located close to the monument sites. They also found evidence of hundreds of homes nearby, dating around the time of the monuments, clustered in groups of 2 – 5 with remnants of house floors and pottery shards. This evidence suggests the existence of small, linked yet independent communities. Researchers also suggest the possibility that these megalithic cemeteries could have been a focal spot of the cultural landscape and served the purpose of bringing people together.” (Wikipedia)
Wanar: “The
area of Wanar is located in the Kaffrine district of Senegal, and is made up of
21 stone circles and one double circle. – All of the monuments found at Wanar
seem to mark burials, according to the archaeologists working there.
Researchers have also determined that the site was a burial ground first, and
the stones were added later for ritual use. Construction for this area can be
narrowed down to between the seventh and fifteenth centuries A.D.
A current dating program that has begun is yielding estimates that date the construction of the double circle to between the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. A 2008 excavation was conducted on the double circle at Wanar, and two types of burials were distinguished: simple burials that consisted of large pits sealed with a mound, and more complex burials that were deep with narrow mouths. There was also a presence of perishable materials found in the burials, such as brick and plaster, that suggests the existence of funerary houses built at the time of burial.” (Wikipedia)
Wassu: “Researchers are not certain when these monuments were built, but the generally accepted range is between the third century B.C. and the sixteenth century A.D.” (Wikipedia)
Kerbatch: “Kerbatch, an area comprising nine stone circles and one double circle, is located in Gambia’s Nianija district. Kerbatch features a V-shaped, ‘bifid’ stone (the only one in the region) that had broken in three places and fallen. This stone, that had been part of a frontal line, was restored during the 1965 Anglo-Gambian Stone Circles Expedition led by P. Ozanne. During thes expedition Ozanne and his team excavated the double circle at Kerbatch.” (Wikipedia) These are listed as the major concentrations although there are a number of other monuments and stone circles.
“During the medieval period of Europe which corresponds roughly to the Golden Age of West Africa, several great empires and kingdoms sprang out from the Senegambia region, including but not limited to the great Ghana Empire, the Mali Empire, the Songhai Empire, the Jolof Empire, the Kaabu Empire, the Kingdoms of Sine, Saloum, Baol, Waalo and Takrur. During this period several great dynasties rose and fell, and some, such as the Guelowar Dayasty of Sine and Saloum, survived for more than 600 years despite European colonialism, which fell as recently as 1969, nine years after Senegal gained its independence from France.” (Wikipedia) In the eurocentric world view that we have inherited we tend to forget that other cultures reached surprising heights long before our culture developed. Not only the scale and magnitude of these monuments attests to the cultural height of these kingdoms, but also their other arts and cultural advancements.
“The integrity of the four components of the site can only be evaluated as part of a much wider unified cultural complex. The complexes conserve their integrity in terms of spatial associations of the component circles, individual megaliths and tumuli. The spiritual beliefs associated to the stones by local communities help protect their integrity. The stone circles stand in a farmed landscape and there have been few interventions. A very small number of stones have been removed. Some burial sites have been excavated and subsequently back-filled. These disturbances remain minimal. The oval authenticity of the four sites is intact.” (UNESCO) It seems a little awkward to me to refer to “100 km wide along some 350 km” in length as a site – singular – but later the plural sites is used.
These stone circles represent a notable cultural accomplishment, attesting to a high level of civilization whose greatness deserves to be preserved and remembered.
NOTE: Some images in this posting were retrieved from the internet with a search for public domain photographs. If any of these images are not intended to be public domain, I apologize, and will happily provide the picture credits if the owner will contact me with them. For further information on these reports you should read the original reports at the sites listed below.
REFERENCES:
UNESCO, Stone Circles of Senegambia, https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1226. Accessed on 12 February 2023.
Wikipedia, Senegambian stone circles, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senegambian_stone_circles. Accessed on 12 February 2023.
Wikipedia, Senegambia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senegambia#Media. Accessed on 17 February 2023.
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