Rao, Senegal

Rao
Town
Rao
Coordinates: 15°55′N16°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

1. PEPAM Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine
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.