The Solitary Shaman: Itinerant Healers and Ritual Seclusion in the Namib Desert During the Second Millennium ad

New evidence from the Namib Sand Sea reveals that specialized shamans may have practiced ritual seclusion and sensory deprivation, possibly as itinerant healers, during the second millennium AD. This behavior is linked to hunter-gatherer responses to the introduction of pastoralism and the rise of specialist rainmakers and healers in southern Africa. The study identifies anomalies in rock art and archaeology, providing insights into the religious practices of these communities. Kinahan's research combines archaeological and ethnographic methods to reconstruct the social and spiritual dynamics of this period.

Kinahan, J. (2017). The Solitary Shaman: Itinerant Healers and Ritual Seclusion in the Namib Desert During the Second Millennium ad. Cambridge Archaeological Journal, 27(3), 553–569. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0959774317000348