First geophysical exploration in the tumuli zone of central Senegal: a multidimensional approach

In western and central Senegal, several thousand burial mounds are known, but only a very few have been archaeologically investigated. The result is that an important portion of the later prehistory of this region remains poorly understood. This concerns the monuments themselves but equally their direct environs, where settlements are supposed but remain largely undiscovered despite extensive standard surveys. The situation is especially distressing given that a high number of sites are prone to destruction due to erosion and agriculture; an unknown number has already been lost and with them an important archive of the African past. Geophysical prospecting is an efficient method for pre-exploring and documenting not only the tumuli, but also their immediate environs. It is in this context that a first trial geophysical exploration that integrated fluxgate gradiometry and groundpenetrating radar (GPR) surveys was undertaken at sites near the town of Mbacke. That study delivered useful information on the preservation, layout and inner structure of the sites and its results are presented here.