Archaeoastronomy and conflict. On the orientation of Pre-Islamic tombs in the Western Sahara

Western Sahara has been the subject of a territorial dispute between Morocco and the indigenous Frente Polisario independence movement since the withdrawal of Spain in 1975. Although some archeological studies have been undertaken in the last years, the active political conflict caused that little research has been conducted in both the zone occupied by Morocco and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), due to different access and logistical difficulties, now increased with the break of the ceasefire in 2020.

In this presentation we show the preliminary results of an archaeoastronomical study of more than 200 Prehistoric tombs in the Western Sahara, mostly in the southern region of Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab. In particular, the orientation of engravings from different types have been measured during two fieldwork campaigns in the occupied Sahara in 2018 and 2019. The orientation patterns suggest a possible role of astronomy and key features of the surrounding landscape in the funerary architecture.

Archaeoastronomy. Western Sahara. Cultural Astronomy. Pre-Islamic Africa. North Africa Arcaheology.