Laas Geel
Laas Geel or Laas Gaal is a small rock massif near Hargeysa in northern Somalia ( Somaliland ), which is known for the cave paintings discovered in its caves .
The caves are home to some of the earliest and best-preserved art works known in the Horn of Africa and on the African continent as a whole. Suggested dates vary between 4000 BC. BC and 3000 BC Chr.
Geography and surroundings
It is a small rock massif made of red granite, which is located in the area of a settlement of nomads in Dubato (alternative spelling Dhubbato) northeast of Hargeysa . The rock protrudes from a plateau on which Somali nomads graze their animals and wild antelopes roam the landscape. Two seasonal watercourses ( wadis ) converge at its foot , below which the groundwater level is close to the surface. Because of this water resource, the rock got its name, which means something like "watering place for camels". The rock has around 20 caves and niches, around ten of which have Neolithic rock carvings.
discovery
The local nomads used the caves to shelter from the rain and knew about the paintings but paid little attention to them.
In November and December 2002, a group of French researchers led by Xavier Gutherz traveled to northern Somalia (Somaliland) to look for traces from the period between 5000 and 2000 BC. From the time when the manufacturing economy emerged in this part of the Horn of Africa. On December 4, residents of the small village of Daarbudhuq (alternative spelling: Dacarbudhug) on the road between Hargeysa and Berbera referred the researchers to Laas Geel. Because of a lack of time, they were only able to examine the cave paintings briefly at first. In November 2003 they examined them more closely on another expedition.
The cave paintings
The rock carvings are probably the best preserved in Africa. They mostly show cows and people. Most of the images are multicolored, the colors used are red ocher, white, yellow ocher and black.
The necks of the cows are provided with a kind of plastron , which could be a ceremonial ornament or a symbolic representation. Their heads appear highly schematic. The udders, on the other hand, are clearly shown with four teats each, which probably indicates that milk was of great importance in the diet of people at that time. In contrast to today's African cattle, they do not have a hump. The cow images are usually around 40–50 cm long and 20–30 cm high.
The people are shown with wide, clothed chests and arms outspread, and are clearly smaller than the cows; maybe they worship the cows.
A house dog, other Canidae and a giraffe are also shown, all smaller than the cows. In part, images are obviously painted over other images.
Based on laboratory analyzes of bones and charcoal excavated in the immediate vicinity, the paintings were dated between 3500 and 3000 BC. Dated.
Development since the discovery
Since their scientific discovery, the Laas Geel cave paintings have been exposed to a small but growing number of visitors. A modest tourist infrastructure was built , also with the support of the Danish Refugee Council (DRC). The Somaliland authorities are promoting Laas Geel as “national heritage” and a tourist attraction. They also want to use the attention paid to the cave paintings to advance their efforts to recognize Somaliland 's independence .
The World Monuments Fund included Laas Geel in its list of the 100 Most Endangered Cultural Monuments.
In 2007, more cave paintings were discovered in Dhambalin .
Web links
literature
- X. Gutherz, J.-P. Cros & J. Lesur: The discovery of new rock paintings in the Horn of Africa: the rockshelters of Las Geel, Republic of Somaliland , in: The Journal of African Archeology, Vol. 1 (2) 2003 (engl.)
- Mandeeq Tribune, December 14, 2003: Most Ancient Discoveries made in Somaliland (at Sirag Archive )
Individual evidence
- ^ The pictures by Laas Gaal , in: GEO 02/2007
- ↑ World Monuments Fund: Las Geel Rock Art ( Memento of March 11, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
Coordinates: 9 ° 47 ' N , 44 ° 27' E