Neolithic Tenerian Culture Stone Grave Goods or Amulets

Tenerian Culture, c. 4600–2500 BC, Ténéré Desert, Niger, West Africa

Superb set of ancient stone and fossil grave goods or amulets from the Tenerian culture, a prehistoric people who flourished in the heart of the Sahara during the Neolithic Subpluvial—a wetter, greener phase of Saharan history.

The Tenerian culture, named after the vast Ténéré Desert of Niger, was discovered in 2000 during an archaeological expedition led by Paul Sereno at Gobero, a remote site known as a “desert within a desert.” Excavations revealed two distinct populations: the earlier Kiffian (c. 8000 years ago), robust hunter-gatherers living by a great lake; and the later Tenerian, a more gracile people who thrived between c. 4600 and 2500 BC, sustaining themselves through hunting, fishing, and cattle herding.

Tenerian burials at Gobero are among the most evocative of all Neolithic Africa—bodies interred in serene repose, often accompanied by personal ornaments, tools, weapons, and amulets crafted from stone, bone, and fossil materials. These objects were offerings for the afterlife, reflecting both spiritual belief and the artistic sensitivity of a vanished desert civilization.

This assemblage embodies the mystery and grace of Saharan prehistory, a rare tangible link to an ancient culture that flourished when the Sahara was still green. 

Good condition. Surface wear and abrasions commensurate with age, nicks and chip, with rich encrusted patina. Size varies from 8,7cm to 3,5cm. Sell as a set.

Provenance: Dutch private collection.

References and further reading:

Stone Age mass graves reveal green Sahara, Nora Schultz, New Scientist, 14 August 2008. (https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn14536-stone-age-mass-graves-reveal-green-sahara/)

Stone Age Graveyard reveals Lifestyles of a 'Green Sahara': Two Successive Cultures Thrived Lakeside, Uchicago News, University of Chicago, Aug 14, 2008. (https://news.uchicago.edu/story/stone-age-graveyard-reveals-lifestyles-green-sahara-two-successive-cultures-thrived-lakeside)

Lakeside Cemeteries in the Sahara: 5,000 Years of Holocene Population and Environmental Change, Paul Sereno and others, Plos One, August 14, 2008.  (https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0002995)

Lost Tribes of the Green Sahara, Peter Gwin, National Geographic September 2008, pp. 126-143.