Bored Stones–Star Stones–Ancestral Stones: A Sub-Saharan Perspective of the Ritualised Relationship Between Humans and Perforated Stones

Abstract

Bored stones are prolific in South Africa and found across much of sub-Saharan Africa. Most are surface finds, but some have been excavated from Pleistocene Stone Age deposits dating to between about 11,000 to 45,000 years ago. Others are found in association with late Holocene Iron Age farmer occupations, and in some places, they have been used during historical times. The relationships between humans and these objects, therefore, transcend socio-economical boundaries. The stones are mostly thought of as weights for digging sticks—but some groups in sub-Saharan Africa also had/have ritualised, symbolic relationships with them. Here, I explore bored stones in their ritual and spiritual contexts, drawing largely on historical accounts. I also provide a summary of archaeological finds to demonstrate the possible time depth of such relationships.