Archaeologists have dated a nearly 180-foot-long stone tomb with unusual “antennae” in Western Sahara to more than 4,000 years ago. The ancient burial monument contains the remains of a young adult buried with four ostrich eggshell beads. The discovery provides the first reliable dates for these mysterious structures and offers new insight into prehistoric burial practices across the Sahara.
Researchers published the findings on Oct. 20, 2026, in the journal “African Archaeological Review.” Researchers examined the monument at Lawash el Telli in northern Western Sahara and dated the burial to between approximately 2467 and 2150 B.C.
Ancient stone tomb features mysterious antennae
The monument stands on a rocky desert plain near an ancient riverbed. It measures 179 feet (54.5 meters) long and consists of an oval burial mound with two rows of limestone slabs extending eastward. The stone rows bend slightly toward each other, forming an open V shape. Archaeologists call these structures “antennae tumuli” because of their distinctive design. The main mound measures about 41 feet (12.5 meters) across its longest side and stands less than 10 feet (3 meters) high.
Ancient builders stacked local limestone slabs without mortar. Researchers believe a small group could have constructed the monument using simple tools. Similar structures appear across the Sahara, where archaeologists have also identified hundreds of ancient stone burial monuments.
Archaeologists discover human remains and ancient beads
Researchers excavated part of the monument in April 2018 with support from the Sahrawi Ministry of Culture. Beneath layers of stone, they uncovered a skeleton resting directly on the ground. The body lay on its back, with the head pointing south and the legs bent westward. The bones were badly preserved, but dental evidence suggests the individual died between ages 25 and 35. Researchers could not determine the person’s sex.
A mysterious 4,000-year-old tomb with strange stone “antennae” has been discovered in Western Sahara. Stretching nearly 180 feet, the monument contains ancient human remains and ostrich eggshell beads. But why was it built with two long stone arms? pic.twitter.com/X7Jlml2J4T
— Tom Marvolo Riddle (@tom_riddle2025) October 22, 2026
Four small ostrich eggshell beads were the only objects found alongside the remains. Archaeologists believe they belonged to a personal ornament. There was no evidence that the burial had been disturbed or reused.
Scientific dating reveals a 4,000-year-old burial
Initial radiocarbon dating attempts failed because the bones lacked enough preserved collagen, a protein commonly used to determine age. In 2025, researchers analyzed mineral material from an arm bone and a thigh bone instead. Both samples produced closely matching dates, placing the burial between 4,100 and 4,400 years ago.
The results establish the first reliable timeline for antennae tombs in the Atlantic Sahara. Other discoveries, including 6,000-year-old stone burial circles in Sudan, have also revealed evidence of complex prehistoric funerary traditions.
Discovery offers clues to prehistoric Saharan life
The tomb lies near Sluguilla Lawash, a major archaeological site containing thousands of ancient rock engravings. The carvings depict cattle, ostriches and other animals, suggesting the landscape once supported wildlife rarely seen there today. Earlier studies have shown that the Sahara was once covered by lakes, rivers and grasslands.
Researchers believe the tomb also reflects a shift in burial customs, as prehistoric communities began building large stone monuments instead of simple underground graves. Similar questions about ancient burial traditions have emerged from the discovery of 4,500-year-old tombs in Egypt. However, the purpose of the antennae and their eastward orientation remains unknown.
The discovery provides an important starting point for understanding when these unusual monuments appeared and how ancient Saharan communities honored their dead.
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