Djibouti - Tumulus (Awellos)

Tumulus or Awellos in the local language "pile of stones collected by the ancestors" are ancient funerary complexes dating back to about 3 thousand years before J-C. The majority of tumuli are near the town of Randa in the Tadjourah region of Dasbyo in the Ali-Sabieh region in particular, and are also distributed throughout the territory. They therefore constitute an important part of the historical and archaeological heritage of the Republic of Djibouti. The construction of the burial mounds obeyed the respect of the funerary rites proper to the populations of that time. Indeed, according to the social status of the buried person, if it was important (eg king, customary chief, spiritual leader), it was necessary to bury it in an imposing burial mound and adorned with precious goods (its precious stones, its saber, his material goods). On the other hand, people without a high social status were entitled to ordinary burials. Two forms of tumulus are found: Mounds that have a flattened shape. They are built flat and circular with stones juxtaposed next to each other. Their originality is the fact of containing stelae at the ends. These tumulus forms are found in the plains regions.