Rao, Senegal

Town in Saint-Louis Region, Senegal

Town in Saint-Louis Region, Senegal

Rao

Town

Rao

Coordinates: 15°55′N 16°23′W﻿ / ﻿15.917°N 16.383°W﻿ / 15.917; -16.383
Country|  Senegal
Region| Saint-Louis Region
Department| Saint-Louis Department
Arrondissement| Rao Arrondissement
Elevation

| 9 m (30 ft)
Population

(2003)

• Total| 1,146[1]
Time zone| UTC+0 (GMT)

Rao is a village in northern Senegal, approximately 15km from Saint-Louis. It is the seat of the eponymous Rao Arrondissement.

Rao is known primarily as an important archaeological site, where the 'Rao Pectoral' was discovered in a burial mound in 1941. The large, golden disc is among the most impressive artifacts unearthed in Senegal.[2] It dates from the period of the founding of the Jolof Empire, and was found near the ancient village of Mboyu-Gar where the empire's founder Ndiadiane Ndiaye first appeared in Waalo.[3]

## References[edit]

1. ^ PEPAM [1]
2. ^ "Pectoral (The Rao Pectoral) and Five Gold Beads". Met Museum. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
3. ^ Boulegue, Jean (2013). Les royaumes wolof dans l'espace sénégambien (XIIIe-XVIIIe siècle) (in French). Paris: Karthala Editions. p. 39.