Tichit

Tichit, or Tichitt, is a village at the foot of the Tagant Plateau in central southern Mauritania, known for its vernacular architecture and its proximity to the Dhar Tichitt archaeological sites. The main agriculture is date farming, and the village is also home to a small museum. It has a hot desert climate. It forms part of the Ancient Ksour of Ouadane, Chinguetti, Tichitt and Oualata.

The region includes a long sandstone cliff formation that defines the northern limit of the Hodh depression, near the former lake of Aoukar. The Neolithic sites of Dhar Tichitt were settled around 2000 BC by agropastoral communities known as the Tichitt culture, with some evidence that millet was farmed from the start. The settlements were generally on the cliffs and included stone buildings. They are the oldest surviving archaeological settlements in West Africa and the oldest stone-built settlements south of the Sahara. They are thought to have been built by the proto-Soninke people and were possibly the precursor of the Ghana Empire. Hundreds of rock art images show animals and hunting scenes. The area was abandoned around 500 BC, probably because of more arid conditions.

In the Middle Ages the area was part of Maasina, the Fula term for the Dhar Tichitt-Walata-Néma region. Al-Bakri's 11th century chronicle records a war between Masin and nearby Awgham. The oldest population stratum in Tichit is an Afro-Berber group still called the Imasna. The town was founded in the 12th century as a caravan stop on the Trans-Saharan trade route linking Oualâta to Chinguetti and eventually Sijilmasa. According to legend, seven towns have been built on top of each other at the site.

The Azer dialect of Soninke was spoken in Tichit from the era of the Wagadou Empire until the early 20th century. The name Tichit may derive from a term meaning language of the blacks in the Tuareg languages. The town was self-sufficient and had several thousand inhabitants in the early 20th century, but desertification and sand encroachment have led to the abandonment of many structures. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996, and in 1999 torrential rains caused flooding that damaged 80% of the town.

Neolithic

This region includes a long sandstone cliff formation that defines the northern limit of the Hodh depression, near the former lake of Aoukar.

The Neolithic sites of Dhar Tichitt were settled around 2000 BC by agropastoral communities known as the Tichitt culture. Archaeologists including P.J. Munson, Augustin F.C. Holl, and S. Amblard have found some evidence that millet was farmed there from the date of the communities' foundation. The settlements were generally situated on the cliffs and included stone buildings. They are the oldest surviving archaeological settlements in West Africa and the oldest stone-built settlements south of the Sahara. They are thought to have been built by the proto-Soninke people and were possibly the precursor of the Ghana Empire. Hundreds of rock art images have been discovered, depicting various animals and hunting scenes. The area was abandoned around 500 BC probably because of the onset of more arid conditions.

Medieval

The area around Tichit was part of Maasina, the Fula term for the Dhar Tichitt-Walata-Néma region and origin of the name Massina for the Inner Niger Delta. Al-Bakri's 11th century chronicle records a war between 'Masin' and nearby Awgham. The oldest population strata in Tichit consists of an Afro-Berber group still called the Imasna.

The town of Tichitt was founded in the 12th century as a caravan stop on the Trans-Saharan trade route linking Oualâta to Chinguetti and eventually Sijilmasa. According to legend, seven towns have been built on top of each other at the site.

The Azer dialect of Soninke was spoken in Tichit from the era of the Wagadou Empire until the early 20th century. The name 'Tichit' may be derived from a term meaning 'language of the blacks' in the Tuareg languages.

Modern

The town was self-sufficient and boasted several thousand inhabitants in the early 20th century, but desertification and sand encroachment have led to the abandonment of many structures. In 1996, it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 1999, torrential rains caused flooding that damaged 80% of the town.