Saharan Berber ruler. Radiocarbon dated to the second half of the fifth century, the bones of a Saharan woman, Tin Hinan, continue to spark the intense interest of archaeologists and historians. The tomb and remains of the pre-Islamic desert queen have confirmed Saharan oral-historical accounts, as well as the written accounts of Roman and Arab scholars and travelers, about the practices and legends of Tamachek-speaking Saharan Berbers. Her skeleton and bone structure were remarkably similar to that of the living Tuareg (the veiled Berber nomads of the Sahara).
Little can be confidently said about events in the life of this remarkable woman. Her grave, much more elaborate than others from this period, suggests that she was a queen or a respected chieftess. Although her existence was probably well known to the inhabitants of the area, her tomb was first seen by modern Europeans only in 1927 when Byron Khun ...
