Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 4.6. Afar mother and daughter with edible lily bulbs collected fromawaterhole
in the Afar Desert, Ethiopia. These are used in times of drought. The black seeds
inside are ground into flour and made into porridge.
the last 5,000 years forced many of them to migrate into areas of more reliable rainfall
and pasture. Those who remained, whether by choice or necessity, occupied areas
where permanent water was available, either as springs and underground waterholes
or at shallow depth in the sandy beds of ephemeral stream channels. Many of these
reliable sources of water were in upland areas or in deeply dissected plateaux, but in
all cases the availability of adequate food for their animals was a key requirement,
often demanding a nomadic lifestyle, leading to an exchange of goods and ideas.
The very mobility of pastoralists (
Figures 4.7
and
4.8
) also gave them a decided
advantage in warfare, whether by small-scale raiding parties, such as the Saharan Tibu
