In the remote Isalo Mᴀssif in southern Madagascar, at a site called Teniky, an international team of researchers has uncovered a unique rock-cut architectural complex that has no known parallels on the island or the nearby East African coast. This discovery has prompted speculation about possible links to ancient Zoroastrian communities and long-distance migration and trade networks.

A series of 35 circular rock-cut niches in Madagascar. Credit: G. Schreurs et al. Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa (2024)

The team, led by Guido Schreurs, ᴀssociate Professor at the University of Bern’s Insтιтute of Geological Sciences, documented a variety of rock-carved features at Teniky, including artificial terraces, sandstone walls, niches carved into cliffs, and stone basins. These structures were dated using radiocarbon analysis of charcoal found during excavations, which placed their construction between the 10th and 12th centuries CE. This coincides with the discovery of imported ceramics from China and Southeast Asia, which date between the 11th and 14th centuries, suggesting that the inhabitants of Teniky were involved in Indian Ocean trade networks during the medieval period, despite being located over 200 kilometers from the nearest coast.

What makes the Teniky site particularly intriguing is that the closest stylistic parallels to its rock-carved architecture are found not in Africa but in present-day Iran, specifically in the Fars region. These Iranian rock-cut niches are ᴀssociated with Zoroastrian funerary practices dating back to the first millennium CE. This has led the researchers to propose a tentative hypothesis that Teniky may have been a necropolis constructed by settlers of Zoroastrian origin.

Teniky: rock-cut niches: a) panoramic view of rock-cut niches and a single cylindrical rock-cut niche slightly higher to the right; b and c) detailed views. Credit: G. Schreurs et al. Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa (2024)

If this hypothesis is confirmed, it would raise numerous questions about early migration to Madagascar and the island’s cultural and religious diversity during the medieval period. Dr. Schreurs emphasized the need for further archaeological research to explore these questions: “We need to understand where and when these settlers first arrived on the coast of Madagascar, why they moved inland to Teniky, how they interacted with other populations on the island, and when and why the site was eventually abandoned.”

The researchers have already ruled out the previously held theory that the structures at Teniky were built by shipwrecked Portuguese sailors in the 16th century. Credit: G. Schreurs et al. Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa (2024)

The researchers have already ruled out the previously held theory that the structures at Teniky were built by shipwrecked Portuguese sailors in the 16th century, as Portuguese ships did not enter the Indian Ocean until 1498. While it remains possible that Portuguese mariners may have briefly visited the site, there is no direct evidence of their presence. Instead, the team is focused on exploring the possibility that the people who created the Teniky structures brought their religious and cultural traditions from outside the island, possibly from Iran or another part of the Zoroastrian world.

However, the researchers have also not excluded the possibility that these settlers’ beliefs and rituals evolved after they arrived in Madagascar, coincidentally resulting in architectural forms that resemble Zoroastrian sites in Iran. Regardless of the origin of these structures, the discovery at Teniky is significant as it suggests that Madagascar’s settlement was far more complex and multicultural than previously believed.

Aerial view showing the location of the main archaeological structures at the cirque of Teniky. Credit: G. Schreurs et al. Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa (2024)

Madagascar’s population today is known to be a mix of African and Asian ancestry, with genetic studies highlighting this diversity. But the archaeological record of the island’s settlement has been sparse until now. The discovery of such an elaborate and previously unknown site in Madagascar’s interior points to the island’s potential importance as a religious and commercial hub during the Middle Ages.

This discovery also underscores the need to protect and preserve the Teniky site, which has suffered from damage and looting in the past. Although it is located within Isalo National Park, further research and protection efforts are needed to ensure the site’s survival.