#National News

Scads of Tour Guides receive training on archaeological significance of Stone Circles

Feb 8, 2022, 11:45 AM | Article By: Yunus S. Saliu

At least 12 Tour Guides at Wassu and Kerr Batch Stones Circle Sites and two staff of the National Centre for Arts and Culture (NCAC) last Sunday were trained on archaeological significance of Stones Circles delivered by Dr. Adrien Devloye, an archaeologist at University of Geneva, Switzerland and World Authority on the Ethno-archaeology of the Stone Circles of Senegambia.

The training of these tour guides by Dr. Adrien Devloye also exposed participants to the significance, purpose, funerary culture and culture of the circles at a day’s session held at Kerr Batch Stones Circle Site in Nianija, Central River Region.

The training seeks to widen the horizon of participants on issues relating to stone circles to enable them get new information to visitors like tourists and school children.

Commenting on the training, Hassoum Ceesay, Director General of NCAC, reiterated that the aim of the training was to update the participants with the latest research on the Stone Circles, saying the lead trainer, Dr. Adrien has published latest research on the megalithic sites especially their link to human habitation.”

In his power-point presentation, Dr. Adrien pointed out slide show of the burial and funerary practices of the Stone Circles, thus reminding the guides that until now all the research knowledge on the circles point out to the burial sites.

He also took the tour guides through the link between the Stone circles and human habitation and also the quarry sites, while narrating that the archaeological research on the megalithic sites remain, work is in progress and as guides, they should always explain that to visitors.

The session included questions and answers, followed by a conducted tour of the Kerr Batch site where Dr Adrien explained the V-shaped stone and also its impact on weathering on the circles.

The second session of the training was a trip to the Stone Circles Site of Sangule and also at Niani Maru, which was an exciting trip to the tour guides.