Karinhegane is an
archaeological site
An archaeological site is a place (or group of physical sites) in which evidence of past activity is preserved (either prehistoric or historic or contemporary), and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology an ...
in the eastern
Sanaag
Sanag ( so, Sanaag, ar, سَنَاج) is an administrative region ('' gobol'') in north eastern Somaliland.[Regions o ...](_blank)
region of
Somaliland
Somaliland,; ar, صوماليلاند ', ' officially the Republic of Somaliland,, ar, جمهورية صوماليلاند, link=no ''Jumhūrīyat Ṣūmālīlānd'' is a ''de facto'' sovereign state in the Horn of Africa, still conside ...
. It contains some unique polychrome rock art.
Overview
Karinhegane is situated between the towns of
Las Khorey
Las Khorey ( so, Laasqoray, ar, لاسقُرَى ) is a historic coastal town in the Sanaag region of Somaliland.
History
The Las Khorey settlement is several centuries old. Between the town and El Ayo lies Karinhegane, a site containing numer ...
and
El Ayo
El Ayo ( so, Ceelaayo, ar, عيلايو), also known as El Ayum, is a coastal town in the eastern Sanaag region of Somaliland, near the border with Somalia. There is a base of the Puntland Maritime Police Force, which is effectively controlled ...
. It is the site of numerous
cave paintings
In archaeology, Cave paintings are a type of parietal art (which category also includes petroglyphs, or engravings), found on the wall or ceilings of caves. The term usually implies prehistoric origin, and the oldest known are more than 40,000 y ...
of real and mythical animals. Each painting has an inscription below it, which collectively have been estimated to be around 2,500 years old.
Karinhegane's rock art is in the same distinctive Somali-Arabian style as the
Laas Geel
Laas Geel ( so, Laas Geel), also spelled Laas Gaal, are cave formations on the rural outskirts of Hargeisa, Somaliland, situated in the Maroodi Jeex region of the country. They contain some of the earliest known cave paintings of domesticated Afr ...
and
Dhambalin
Dhambalin ("half, vertically cut mountain") is an archaeological site in the central Sahil province of Somaliland. The sandstone rock shelter contains rock art depicting various animals such as horned cattle and goats, as well as giraffes, an ani ...
cave paintings.
Located nearby, around 25 miles from Las Khorey, is
Gelweita
Gelweita ( so, Geel Wayta), also known as Las Galwayta or Galwayta is an archaeological site and a key rock art site in the eastern Sanaag region of Somaliland.
Overview
Gelweita is at an altitude of 7500ft and is near a plateau. The archeologi ...
, another key rock art site.
See also
*
Somali architecture
Somali architecture is the engineering and designing of multiple different construction types such as stone cities, castles, citadels, fortresses, mosques, temples, aqueducts, lighthouses, towers and tombs during the ancient, medieval and early ...
Notes
Archaeological sites in Somalia
Sanaag
Archaeological sites of Eastern Africa
{{Africa-archaeology-stub