Queen Tin Hinan is renowned in Tuareg history as a fourth century matriarch of great prestige – named “Mother of Us All”. Her monumental tomb was located in 1925 in the Sahara desert, but dramatic archaeological discoveries of the day, such as King Tut’s tomb, somewhat overshadowed her unveiling.For some, the 1920s were an exciting time to be alive. The Great War had just ended in 1918, and some countries were enjoying economic boom, allowing their citizens to indulge in lavish and decadent lifestyles. In the field of archaeology, sensational discoveries were being made, including the find of Tutaankhamun’s tomb by Howard Carter, and the excavation of the city of Ur by Leonard Woolley, both in 1922.
When the ‘tomb of Tin Hinan’ was found and opened by Byron Khun de Prorok and the French Army in 1925, the discovery received much less publicity than other ancient finds. This may have been as Prorok was considered the “original tomb raider” of his time, and not well respected by the scientific community.
*The views of the above article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Africa Speaks 4 Africa or its editorial team.