Tin Hinan

Who is Tin Hinan?

Tin Hinan is the name given by the Tuareg to a 4th-century woman of prestige whose monumental tomb is located in the Sahara at Abalessa in the Hoggar region of Algeria. The name means literally "she of the tents", but may be metaphorically translated as "mother of the tribe" or even "queen of the camp". She is sometimes referred to as "Queen of the Hoggar", and by the Tuareg as tamenukalt which also means "leader" or "queen".

The tomb was opened by Byron Khun de Prorok with support from the French army in 1925, and archaeologists made a more thorough investigation in 1933. It was found to contain the skeleton of a woman on a wooden litter, lying on her back with her head facing east. She was accompanied by heavy gold and silver jewellery, some of it adorned with pearls. On her right forearm she wore 7 silver bracelets, and on her left, 7 gold bracelets. Another silver bracelet and a gold ring were placed with the body. Remains of a complex piecework necklace of gold and pearls were also present.

A number of funerary objects were also found.