"Thousands of phallic stelae dot the southern part of Ethiopia. A scientific expedition went there to unravel the mystery of these stones built thousands of years ago.

In southern Ethiopia, the Rift Valley is home to one of the most astonishing enigmas of the African continent. With their rounded caps, some ten thousand phallic-shaped stelae dot the high mountain plateaus of Sidamo and Gedeo country, covering an area of 10 000 square kilometres. Discovered less than a century ago by a handful of explorers, these gigantic megaliths have been little studied, unlike the anthropomorphic stelae, whose research has revealed their funerary nature. A team of scientists led by Roger Joussaume, a French specialist in megalithism, is conducting a major excavation campaign on the many archaeological sites in the region. They are trying to date and understand this exceptional heritage, abandoned as it was by a still unknown civilisation.
Archaeological epic

From the Natural History Museum in Addis Ababa, the capital, to the sites of Boji, Soditi, Tuto Fela and Sede Mercato, director Alain Tixier follows the archaeologists, geologists, anthropologists and ethnologists who are working, with the help of the local population, to reconstruct the history of these amazing stone phalluses. Their research leads them, in particular, to the discovery of an exceptional funerary site in Soditi, and to the meeting of the Gewada and Konso peoples, who have preserved a traditional way of life and perpetuate the culture of the standing stone. Filled with archival footage, 3D reconstructions and testimonies from specialists working in the field, this is a fascinating documentary on an unprecedented scientific and human adventure at the heart of the African Neolithic.

source: Arte.tv