An international team of archaeologists has discovered hundreds of previously unknown mass burial sites in the eastern Sahara, dating back approximately five thousand years, El.kz reports.
According to researchers, these monuments are older than the Egyptian pyramids and could fundamentally change our understanding of life in the prehistoric desert.
Scientists identified 260 funerary complexes hidden beneath the sands of Sudan. They stretch for nearly a thousand kilometers between the Nile and the Red Sea. The sites were discovered using satellite imagery and remote sensing, without the need for traditional excavation.
The structures are known as "ring burials" - circular monuments reaching up to 80 meters in diameter. Inside, archaeologists found the remains of humans, goats, and sheep. Typically, a primary individual was positioned in the center, surrounded by other people and animals. Researchers suggest these individuals may have been chiefs or members of an early elite class.
Radiocarbon dating indicates that the monuments belong to the 4th and 3rd millennia BCE—the period when the Sahara was gradually transforming into a desert following the end of the African Humid Period. Many of the burials are located near ancient lakes and dried-up riverbeds that once served as nomadic routes. Livestock held immense value for these ancient societies; archaeologists compare owning a large herd to owning a Ferrari in the modern world. In the arid conditions of the Sahara, animals were a definitive symbol of wealth and status, which is why they were buried alongside their owners.
Scientists believe this discovery proves that thousands of years ago, the Sahara was not a lifeless wasteland, but a region home to organized communities with complex rituals and social hierarchies. However, many of these monuments are already under threat of destruction due to illegal mining operations.
