Ancient site · Tomb
Gobero
An ancient lakeside in the Ténéré Desert of Niger, found in 2000 by a photographer on Paul Sereno's fossil-hunting expedition. About 200 burials lie here, the oldest cemetery known in the Sahara.
Two different peoples used it: Kiffian hunter-fishers around 7700–6200 BCE, who caught Nile perch up to 2 metres long with bone harpoons, and, after a dry spell, Tenerean people around 5200–2500 BCE, who also kept some cattle. One grave holds a woman and two children buried with arms entwined.
- Dates
- c. 7700–6200 and 5200–2500 BCE
- Still standing
- No, or only traces
- Location
- 17.08° N, 9.52° E
How we know
No writing existed; dates come from radiocarbon on bones, shells and pottery temper, published in 2008.
Nearby sites
- Nok c. 1500 BCE – 1 CE; terracottas from c. 900 BCE
- Tassili n'Ajjer rock art c. 10,000 BCE (debated) to the early centuries CE
- Taruga c. 600–200 BCE (iron smelting c. 4th–3rd century BCE)
- Shum Laka used from c. 30,000 years ago to c. 400 years ago; burials c. 6000 and 1000 BCE
- Ounjougou oldest pottery c. 9400 BCE
- Djenné-Djenno c. 250 BCE – 1400 CE
Related
- Green Sahara hunter-fishers and herders archaeological culture