Serer ancient history

The prehistoric and ancient history of the Serer people of modern-day Senegambia has been extensively studied and documented over the years. Much of it comes from archaeological discoveries and Serer tradition rooted in the Serer religion.

In Charles Becker’s paper titled "Vestiges historiques, trémoins matériels du passé clans les pays Sereer", two types of Serer relics were noted: "the non-material remains which are cultural in nature" and "material remains, which are many revealed through products or artefacts." The historical vestiges of Serer country in modern-day Senegambia, the diversity of Serer culture manifested across dialects, family and social organisation which reflect different historical territories were observed.

Although many Serer artefacts remain unknown, unlisted and preserved despite the efforts in the 1960s and 1970s to collect, archive and document them all, many material relics were found in different Serer countries, most of which refer to the past origins of Serer families, villages and Serer Kingdoms. Some of these Serer relics included gold, silver and metals. The known objects found in Serer countries, are divided into two types:

1. the remnants of earlier populations.

2. Laterite megaliths carved planted in circular structures with stones directed towards the east are found only in small parts of the ancient Serer kingdom of Saloum.

The following table lists the archaeological sites in some of the Serer countries with their densities. Note: Some of these are now regions with their cities, towns and villages:

Tassett and Diobas – 37 sites and 121 tumulus.

Fissel, Diak, Mbadane and Dimag – 114 sites and 503 tumulus.

Lambaye, Kaba, Polek and Gat – 63 sites and 324 tumulus.

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