Inside the “African Cattle Complex”: Animal Burials in the Holocene Central Sahara

Abstract

Cattle pastoralism is an important trait of African cultures. Ethnographic studies describe the central role played by domestic cattle within many societies, highlighting its social and ideological value well beyond its mere function as ‘walking larder’. Historical depth of this African legacy has been repeatedly assessed in an archaeological perspective, mostly emphasizing a continental vision. Nevertheless, in-depth site-specific studies, with a few exceptions, are lacking. Despite the long tradition of a multi-disciplinary approach to the analysis of pastoral systems in Africa, rarely do early and middle Holocene archaeological contexts feature in the same area the combination of settlement, ceremonial and rock art features so as to be multi-dimensionally explored: the Messak plateau in the Libyan central Sahara represents an outstanding exception. Known for its rich Pleistocene occupation and abundant Holocene rock art, the region, through our research, has also shown to preserve the material evidence of a complex ritual dated to the Middle Pastoral (6080–5120 BP or 5200–3800 BC). This was centred on the frequent deposition in stone monuments of disarticulated animal remains, mostly cattle. Animal burials are known also from other African contexts, but regional extent of the phenomenon, state of preservation of monuments, and associated rock art make the Messak case unique. GIS analysis, excavation data, radiocarbon dating, zooarchaeological and isotopic (Sr, C, O) analyses of animal remains, and botanical information are used to explore this highly formalized ritual and the lifeways of a pastoral community in the Holocene Sahara.

Saharan Rock Art: Local Dynamics and Wider Perspectives

“…A clear correlation between specific rock art sites with 'Pastoral' style and the different Pastoral cultural phases is still lacking, notwithstanding the proposals by Mori [6,30] and Muzzolini [15,102] or Le Quellec [16]. Anyway, as a recent work published for the adjacent Messak massif has remarked [3,10], the analytical interpretation of represented subjects and scenes and their comparison with archaeological features and data from excavations can still reveal exciting results for specific moments of the long Pastoral Neolithic phase: the analytical study of the imagery is still lagging behind. However, it is highly probable that the apex of the rock art testimonies referred to the 'Pastoral' style has to be set around the sixth millennium BP, corresponding with the Middle Pastoral culture; it is also probable that during the Late and Final Pastoral phases this style overlapped in use with the 'Horse/Bitriangular' one.…”

“…In the area of Acacus, during extensive surveys, several painting samples were collected and recently published [57]; as already quoted, all the radiocarbon datings (including those proposed by Mori and associates in 1996 and 2006 [58,59]) were considered unreliable, due to the poor state of conservation, and to a generalized problem of contamination [10]. The positive results of the contextual analysis of rock art evidence in the close-by Messak and in Acacus [3,4,10,60] set the base for the future perspectives of rock art studies in the region.…”

“…Recent developments of research have enabled this general overview to be set out in more detail (e.g., [3,4,60,[76][77][78]. This can be further integrated and improved by a deepened study of rock art evidence.…”

“…This culture, widespread and recorded in most of the excavated sites, is probably the best known for the area. Groups of pastoralists performed a systematic strategy of transhumance between mountains and lowlands [73], exploited the secondary products of cattle [4], made a massive use of wild plant resources and were characterized by complex rituals (as highlighted in the nearby Messak, [3]). The climatic and palaoenvironmental drying from 5000 BP corresponds to Late Pastoral development (ca.…”

“…However, after more than two centuries, rock art is still scarcely known and understood. The rock art studies in the Saharan regions have been left behind in respect of the development of archaeological and multidisciplinary research carried out in the last decades (e.g., [1][2][3][4][5]). After important early studies, corresponding to the first scientific investigations (e.g., [6,7]), the research focused on chronological and stylistic issues, often carried out without a robust archaeological and anthropological perspective.…”