A history of the circumcision shelter Kondi Pegue: The development of Kondi Pegue

To judge from early photographs, initially only a small part of the rock wall at the circumcision site was painted. Over time, more and more paintings were added, and the painting area expanded to the upper and northern parts of the rock wall. Smaller mobile rocks were also painted at least until the 1930s. This practice is said to have been given up when these stones were taken away by visitors, and now only the large vertical rock surface is painted.

Kondi Pegue in the 1930s, with painted rocks in the foreground (photo Marcel Griaule, 1931-1933) Click here to zoom in on the painted rocks.

With the expansion of the painted area the site floor was modified. Over the years a low rock wall in the centre of the site was added to, reaching a height of 1.50m today. An early photo (Frobenius 1908) shows the remnants of a mud-brick structure among the stones of the wall.

Kondi Pegue in 1908, with the remnants of a low mud-brick wall (photo Leo Frobenius, 1908) Click here to zoom in on the wall

Rocks that are said today to serve as stools for the initiates are found in different parts of the site on photographs dating to different decades. In particular, the back part of the site seems to have undergone a drastic change in its use. Photos by Frobenius (1908) and Griaule (1930s) show stone constructions no longer in existence today, as well as objects apparently stored at the site. The activities at the shelter must have changed significantly over the years, as the clearance of the northern part of the site provided an additional space for the initiates. Today, the shelter is subdivided into two areas: its southern section is a more public area, while the northern section serves as a retreat for the boys just after circumcision.

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