Mysterious Teniky community in Madagascar: discoveries and theories
In search of the Zoroastrian origins
Around the first millennium AD, in the southern part of Madagascar, an enigmatic group of people carved large chambers and cavities into the rock of a cliff face. The site, known as Teniky (or Tenika), is located in the heart of Isalo National Park in central-southern Madagascar. The terraces and architecture of Teniky have baffled archaeologists for decades, as they resemble nothing else found in Madagascar or along the nearby East African coast.
The rock structures of Teniky have been known for over 100 years, but archaeological research on them has been limited due to their remote location. To reach the site, excavation teams must travel 20 km through challenging terrain with steep canyons. This logistical challenge is further complicated by the need to collaborate with local institutions and obtain permits from various Malagasy ministries.
In the early twentieth century, French naturalists Alfred and Guillaume Grandidier hypothesized that the rock niches at Teniky might have been carved by Portuguese sailors shipwrecked on the island in the sixteenth century. However, in 1963, archaeologists Ginter and Hébert dismissed this theory, pointing out that the hollow niches required too much effort to carve.
Further research conducted in 2019, using high-resolution satellite images, revealed that the archaeological site was much more extensive than previously thought. In addition to the circular and rectangular stone niches, artificial terraces, stone basins, circular and rectangular structures, conglomerate boulders carved into the rock, and ceramic shards were discovered.
Analysis of charcoal and ceramic shards recovered indicated that the site was occupied between the 10th and 12th centuries AD. Non-local findings suggest that the Teniky community had connections with the Indian Ocean trade network, with shards coming from Southeast Asia and China.
This excludes the hypothesis of Portuguese sailors, as the first Portuguese ships only reached the Indian Ocean in 1498.
Based on these findings it is hypothesized that the mysterious population of Teniky might have had Zoroastrian origins. The stylistic similarities of the structures to Zoroastrian rituals have reinforced this theory. However, the absence of bones at the site raises questions, as Zoroastrians practiced the exposure of the dead in stone niches.
Despite the uncertainties, historical and archaeological evidence suggests that a Zoroastrian community could have reached Madagascar in the first millennium.
source: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0067270X.2024.2380619
