The
tumuli of Cekeen are located in the
Diourbel Department of the
Diourbel Region
The Diourbel Region ( Serer and Cangin: ''Jurbel'') is a region of Senegal. The regional capital is the city of Diourbel. The region corresponds roughly to the precolonial Kingdom of Bawol and is still called by that name. Bawol (or ''Baol'' ...
. The Diourbel Region and the city of
Diourbel
Diourbel ( ar, ديوربل; Serer: ''Jurbel'', Wolof: ''Njaaréem'') is a town in Senegal lying east of Thiès. It is known for its mosque and local groundnut industry and is the capital of the Diourbel Region. The population in 2013 was 133,7 ...
were part of the precolonial
Kingdom of Baol, now part of present-day
Senegal.
Purpose
In this area, a tumulus was used as a
burial mound for chiefs. A deceased chief would be joined by other members of his court along with important objects such as furniture and other implements.
[Les tumulus de Cekeen - UNESCO World Heritage Centre](_blank)
/ref> In this case, he and his escort would be situated in the chief's hut, whereupon the hut was buried with soil and rocks. Thousands of such tumuli exist in Senegal, but it is in Cekeen that the biggest and most densely scattered occur.
World Heritage Status
This site was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List on November 18, 2005 in the Cultural category.
See also
* Senegambian stone circles
* History of Senegal
* History of the Gambia
References
Serer history
History of Senegal
World Heritage Tentative List for Senegal
Prehistoric Africa
Archaeological sites in Senegal
Tumuli
Archaeology of Western Africa
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