Vestiges de Roknia, Prehistoric necropolis in Roknia, Algeria.
The Roknia vestiges form a vast megalithic site stretched across two kilometers along a cliff edge, containing more than three thousand dolmens. These stone burial chambers are distributed in regular patterns across the landscape, creating one of the region's largest necropolises of this kind.
The site originates from the Neolithic period and represents burial traditions that developed across many generations. Nineteenth-century excavations uncovered bones, pottery, and ornaments that showed connections to megalithic cultures of western Europe.
These burial structures reveal how early North African communities honored their dead through stone chambers and systematic arrangements. The widespread network of graves suggests that ancestor veneration held deep meaning for the people who lived here.
Visits must be arranged in advance with local staff, as access to this protected site is controlled for preservation purposes. It is helpful to arrive with a guide who can explain the arrangement of the dolmens and assist with navigation across the sprawling location.
The artifacts discovered here were divided between continents, with pieces now housed in museums in Algeria and France. This geographic split reflects historical archaeological practices of the era.
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