Photos • Location
Rao | |
|---|---|
Town | |
  Rao | |
| Coordinates: 15°55′N 16°23′W / 15.917°N 16.383°W | |
| Country | 
Senegal |
| Region | Saint-Louis Region |
| Department | Saint-Louis Department |
| Arrondissement | Rao Arrondissement |
| Elevation | 9 m (30 ft) |
| Population (2003) | |
| • Total | 1,146 [1] |
| Time zone | UTC+0 ( GMT) |
Rao is a village in northern Senegal, approximately 15km from Saint-Louis. It is the seat of the eponymous Rao Arrondissement.
Rao is known primarily as an important archaeological site, where the 'Rao Pectoral' was discovered in a burial mound in 1941. The large, golden disc is among the most impressive artifacts unearthed in Senegal. [2] It dates from the period of the founding of the Jolof Empire, and was found near the ancient village of Mboyu-Gar where the empire's founder Ndiadiane Ndiaye first appeared in Waalo. [3]
References
- ^ PEPAM [1]
- ^ "Pectoral (The Rao Pectoral) and Five Gold Beads". Met Museum. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
- ^ Boulegue, Jean (2013). Les royaumes wolof dans l'espace sénégambien (XIIIe-XVIIIe siècle) (in French). Paris: Karthala Editions. p. 39.