Dhambalin

Dhambalin is the name of a rock badger from sandstone in the region of Togdheer in northern Somalia ( Somaliland ), in 2007 the cave paintings were discovered. These paintings include in addition to depictions of people, cattle, goats and wild animals, the earliest known pictures of sheep in Somalia.

Location and discovery

The nearest town is Beenyo Dhaadheer, a small rural village about 60 kilometers east of the port city of Berbera. Residents of Beenyo Dhaadheer reported the Somali archaeologist Sada Mire - Director of the Department of Archaeology within the Ministry of Tourism and Culture of Somaliland - indicate a dhambalin near their village. This name means "half, vertically cut mountain" and describes the shape of the rock.

The lower part of the rock is covered by sand. The sandstone is fragile and affected by corrosion. Due to wind erosion, and the porosity of the rock fragments are broken. Also on these ruins are remains of paintings can be seen.

Cave paintings

The paintings cover an area of ​​approximately four meters high and 12 meters wide and belong to several layers. They are assigned to the Ethiopian- Arabic style, carefully dated approximately to the period 5000-3000 Before Present and which also includes the cave paintings at Laas Geel and Karin Heegan. Similarities also exist with the rock art in Jilib Rihin and Haadh that took place in the region of Togdheer Sada Mire also 2007.

There are eight to ten people represented, usually as part of hunting scenes with bow and arrow and surrounded by wildlife. One of the hunters is depicted with hair down, with head-dress and accompanied by two dogs. Another hunter sitting on an animal, possibly a horse. Two people figures are clearly male and have the arms far outstretched. A humanoid figure is painted in white and with a large head compared to the body, it could be a child. Compared to animal pictures, people are less painted lifelike and accurate.

Most of the animals are shown in profile. Of wildlife there are at least eight giraffes in different colors, a turtle, antelopes, lions, snakes, baboon -like animals and a wildcat.

14 sheep are clearly identifiable with a typical hull shape, head and nose and thin legs as such. Three of them are painted in red with a white belt around the waist, while the remaining eleven white with red decorative elements are. In contrast to today held in the region sheep ( Somaliaschaf ) they do not have black heads.

Cattle are in different colors and sizes, but usually depicted as cows with full udders and sometimes accompanied by calves. At least one is clearly a bull, two more could also be bulls. Most have little or no neck, some are without a head. A single toy calf has a great neck.

In addition, five goats are at least represented.

Swell

• Sada Mire: The Discovery of Dhambalin Rock Art Site, Somaliland, in: African Archaeological Review, Vol 25, No. 3-4, December 2008

• Cave in Africa
• Archaeological sites in Somalia
• Geography (Somalia)
• Somaliland
• Cave Painting
• Abri