Isabaten

Ancient people in the Sahara

The Isabaten were known by various names. For example, they were mentioned by Pliny the Elder under the name Hasbitae. They lived partly in coastal regions somewhat away from the sea, but also settled in the Ahaggar mountains. In southern Morocco, the Isabaten could also be found in desert areas.

Subjugated by the Tuareg

Towards the end of the 1st millennium, the Isabaten were subjugated by the arriving Tuareg. In the oral traditions of the Tuareg, which are still told today, the Isabaten are depicted as stupid, ignorant of metalworking, hunters and herders, and their language is characterized as flawed. Parts of the Tuareg tribe of the Dag-Ghali, however, claim descent from the Isabaten.