New excavations in the Ennedi Plateau have revealed a network of ceremonial pathways coated in powdered red ochre that connect various rock art shelters. These paths, dating back to the 3rd millennium BCE, appear to have been used for seasonal processions that followed the movement of the sun. The presence of large feasting pits at the termini of these paths suggests that nomadic pastoralists gathered in significant numbers to celebrate the summer solstice.
The rock art at the site depicts large groups of masked dancers and cattle adorned with ceremonial collars, reinforcing the connection between the landscape and ritual activity. This discovery challenges the view of early Sahelian societies as purely migratory, showing they possessed fixed ritual landscapes dedicated to recurring cultural festivals. The use of red ochre as a 'pavement' for these paths indicates a high degree of symbolic planning and communal effort.