Following the Mosekangwetsi (Cenchrus ciliaris)

Following the Mosekangwetsi (Cenchrus ciliaris)

Cenchrus ciliaris or more commonly known as mosekwangwetsi (Kalanga) or buffalo grass (en.), is a type of perennial, tufted grass that grows in the more arid areas of Southern Africa. In Botswana, the detection of this type of grass can be used to uncover ancient sites such as cattle enclosures or cattle posts, middens, or even large settlements not visible to the untrained eye.

Cenchrus ciliaris.

Currently, the MAEASaM’s southern African hub is surveying areas where this grass predominates using remote sensing to locate further sites for the Arches Database.

A google earth image showing the high reflectance of cenchrus ciliaris which so happens to also mark the presence of archaeological sites in southeastern Botswana.