Researchers have discovered hundreds of ancient mass graves in the Sahara desert, revealing a previously unknown nomadic culture that stretched across the region.
The team, which includes archaeologists from Macquarie University, France's HiSoMA research unit, and the Polish Academy of Sciences, used satellite remote sensing to search for archaeological features in the Atbai Desert of Eastern Sudan.
The graves, known as 'enclosure burials', date back to around 4000-3000 BCE and feature large, circular walls with humans and their cattle, sheep and goats buried inside.
The discovery suggests that these nomads lived in the desert and raised herds, and that they had a complex social hierarchy with a possible 'elite' class.
The researchers also found evidence that the nomads held their animals in high esteem, burying themselves alongside their herd.
The discovery reshapes the story of the Sahara deserts and the prehistory of the Nile, providing a prologue for the monumentalism of the kingdoms of Egypt and Nubia.
However, many of these enclosure monuments are currently being destroyed or vandalised as a result of unregulated mining in the region.
