Indiana Jones in Somaliland

world stories

An autodidact discovers the greatest archaeological treasures of the Horn of Africa

Xavier Aldekoa

Hargeisa (Somaliland)

He traveled light, just with excess conviction. Twenty-one years ago, Mohamed Ali Abdi strapped an old backpack to his back, grabbed a cane and a jug of water, and set off through the hinterlands of his country, Somaliland. He on foot and without money, enduring scorching temperatures and sleeping rough for one goal: to find a treasure thousands of years old. He found it. One evening, while heating dinner, he explored a nearby mountain with his binoculars. “I thought I saw an entrance in the stone wall and I saw some shadows that looked like paintings. My heart raced. I knew I had found something extraordinary. I left the food on the fire and ran up the mountain.” That day in the year 2000, Mohamed discovered Laas Geel, the most important cave paintings in the Horn of Africa.

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Spread over 23 rock shelters on a 950-meter mound, located in a desert between the port of Berbera and Hargeisa, more than 350 figures of humans, animals and enigmatic geometric symbols 5,000 years old rested hidden in an exceptional state of conservation. Local beliefs explain the miracle. The herdsmen who knew of the paintings' existence believed they had been created by djin, evil spirits, and ancient fear caused the paintings to remain isolated to this day.

Mohamed Ali Abdi found the 5,000-year-old cave paintings of Laas Geel

At 60 years old, Mohamed remembers his happiness at the discovery. “I couldn't believe it, I felt a huge emotion. I immediately realized its value and that this was going to be my legacy. I wiped away my tears and drew some pictures on my notebook. I was amazed, but I knew I had to treat this matter carefully, so I didn't tell anyone; for two years I kept the secret. Mohamed began a journey of letters with Italian and French archaeological teams working in neighboring Ethiopia and Djibouti so that they could study that treasure. It was not easy: it was not until 2002 that a French team landed in the country, somewhat incredulous at the descriptions of a passionate Mohamed, and discovered Laas Geel to the international community.

Xavier Gutherz, now retired leader of that expedition, remembers the key role of the Somaliland Indiana Jones. “His importance to him was enormous, but not only in Laas Geel: all the major archaeological sites in Somaliland, the most important ones, have been discovered by him. He has always worked with very little means, touring the country from top to bottom and despite not having a university education, he is not only an expert in archeology but also in local culture and traditions. He is a great defender of the cultural heritage of his country. I wish his work was more valued ”.

Father of nine children, Mohamed retains an air of an explorer from other times and wears an old jacket and his inseparable camouflage hat. He immediately spreads out maps and photos on the table and draws invisible lines between the hundreds of archaeological sites he has discovered. He proudly displays letters of recommendation from international expeditions. Among them, that of a Spanish team led by Dr. Alfredo González Ruibal in which compliments can be read: "Mr. Mohamed's role as a field expert has been essential for the achievement of the project's objectives since he has unique knowledge and first-hand view of Somaliland's archaeological heritage and resources.

“Archeology is in my blood, it is my mission and what gives meaning to my life”, he confesses

Son of a soldier and a nurse and the oldest of ten children, Mohamed fell in love with archeology in his teens, thanks to one of his uncles, who let him accompany him to the excavation of some ancient tombs. Since then, he has dedicated his life to exploring the country. “Archeology is in my blood, it is my mission and what gives meaning to my life”.

Despite little government recognition of his figure in a nation afflicted with notable political and economic problems, Mohamed adjusts his hat and wrinkles his shoulders. Beyond the silent applause, he says he feels privileged to have "inaugurated an era of discoveries", but above all because knowing is the first step to protect. “I have discovered things that remained hidden, that no one had studied and above all that no one protected. We still have time not to lose them”.