From 5th century BCE
Western and central Sahara, including Adrar, Tagant, Hodh, and Mauritanian oases
The pages describe black sedentary communities that lived in Saharan oases and in parts of the western Sahara before and during the spread of desert conditions. Neolithic sites were attributed by later nomadic populations to the Gangara, considered possible ancestors of the Soninke. Small Haratin communities preserved an Azer, a Soninke dialect, in several Mauritanian settlements and may represent remnants of earlier Sudanese populations.
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The Story
According to the account cited on these pages, isolated black sedentary communities lived in the central Sahara more than two thousand years ago, chiefly in oases. In the western Sahara, archaeological and traditional evidence placed black sedentary populations as far north as 20 degrees north in Adrar, Tagant, and the Hodh. Their presence suggests that desert environments retained settled communities around water sources.
The present nomadic population attributed Neolithic sites in these regions to the Gangara, who were considered probable ancestors of the Soninke. A related linguistic trace survived in Azer, described as a Soninke dialect spoken in Walata, Nema, Tichitt, and Shinqit by small groups, mainly black Haratin.
The Haratin are described as isolated communities subject to Berber or Moorish nomads. They may represent remnants of Sudanese communities that formerly inhabited much of the country that later became desert. Climatic desiccation initiated their retreat toward more humid lands, while Sanhaja invasions accelerated the movement southward.
From 5th century BCE
Western and central Sahara, including Adrar, Tagant, Hodh, and Mauritanian oases
The pages describe black sedentary communities that lived in Saharan oases and in parts of the western Sahara before and during the spread of desert conditions. Neolithic sites were attributed by later nomadic populations to the Gangara, considered possible ancestors of the Soninke. Small Haratin communities preserved an Azer, a Soninke dialect, in several Mauritanian settlements and may represent remnants of earlier Sudanese populations.
Continue exploring
The Story
According to the account cited on these pages, isolated black sedentary communities lived in the central Sahara more than two thousand years ago, chiefly in oases. In the western Sahara, archaeological and traditional evidence placed black sedentary populations as far north as 20 degrees north in Adrar, Tagant, and the Hodh. Their presence suggests that desert environments retained settled communities around water sources.
The present nomadic population attributed Neolithic sites in these regions to the Gangara, who were considered probable ancestors of the Soninke. A related linguistic trace survived in Azer, described as a Soninke dialect spoken in Walata, Nema, Tichitt, and Shinqit by small groups, mainly black Haratin.
The Haratin are described as isolated communities subject to Berber or Moorish nomads. They may represent remnants of Sudanese communities that formerly inhabited much of the country that later became desert. Climatic desiccation initiated their retreat toward more humid lands, while Sanhaja invasions accelerated the movement southward.