Study of impact marks in a series of monoliths found at the site of Wanar (Senegal)

• Published in: Journal of archaeological science, reports reports, 2024-04, Vol.54, p.104433, Article 104433
• Main Authors: Ndiaye, Matar, Laporte, Luc, Cros, Jean-Paul
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Archaeology and Prehistory; Humanities and Social Sciences; Megalithic; Monoliths; Necropolises; Senegal; Tool traces; Wanar
• ISSN: 2352-409X; 2352-4103
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104433

The burial methods or funerary practices observed in the megalithic sites of Senegal are rather complex, with the existence of primary and secondary burials and sometimes accompanying deaths. The monoliths built in circles around these necropolises also reveal varied funerary rites. Until recently, researchers mainly focused on identifying, recording and illustrating the ruins of monuments and collecting archaeological data related to the material culture. Now, it is clear that morphological and metric criteria can enhance our understanding of the origin of the raw materials of monoliths, the tools used to shape them and the types of traces made. This is the first such published study in this field, despite the fact that many megaliths around the world were erected during the Metal Ages. In fact, the technical traces identified on the monoliths of the Wanar site reveal a lot about megalith builders in Senegambia. These hitherto unpublished results assess the state of preservation, the physical appearance, the extracted and outcropping faces of the monoliths. The monoliths appear, through space and time, to be closely linked to burials, commemorative ceremonies and the ancestralization of the deceased.