The Jarigole mortuary tradition reconsidered

New evidence from the Jarigole site challenges the long-held assumption that all megalithic pillar sites around Lake Turkana, Kenya, represent a unified 'Jarigole mortuary tradition.' Contrary to earlier beliefs, these sites were not merely secondary burial grounds but featured planned mortuary cavities for predominantly primary burials. This discovery sheds light on the social practices and funerary traditions of eastern Africa's earliest pastoralists during a period marked by significant climate change and the spread of pastoralism. The study combines archaeological excavations with detailed analysis to provide a more nuanced understanding of these monumental cemeteries, which date back approximately 5000 years.

Sawchuk, E. A., Hildebrand, E. A., Hill, A. C., Contreras, D. A., Edung, J. E., Janzen, A., Kurewa, A., Munene, J. K., Ndiema, E., & Grillo, K. M. (2022). The Jarigole mortuary tradition reconsidered. Antiquity, 96(390), 1460–1477. https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2022.141