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In the late afternoon, Nyagatom villagers enjoy singing and dancing. As groups of men take centre stage to jump high in the a...
In the late afternoon, Nyagatom villagers enjoy singing and dancing. As groups of men take centre stage to jump high in the air, women and girls sing, clap to a rhythm, and move slowly towards the men. Children enjoy the excitement in the background. The Nyagatom are one of the largest tribes and arguably the most warlike people living along the Omo River in Southwest Ethiopia.
The contrasting leather aprons or skirts of two Nyagatom girls. The skirt on the left is richly decorated with metal and copp...
The contrasting leather aprons or skirts of two Nyagatom girls. The skirt on the left is richly decorated with metal and copper beads, the one on the right is embellished with thousands of small white discs or beads, handmade from ostrich shells.The Nyagatom are one of the largest tribes and arguably the most warlike people living along the Omo River in Southwest Ethiopia.
Samburu warriors, spears in hand, jump into the air without bending their knees during one of their dance routines.
Detail of a Maasai warrior's ear ornaments and other beaded or metal adornments. The Maasai practice of piercing ears in adol...
Detail of a Maasai warrior's ear ornaments and other beaded or metal adornments. The Maasai practice of piercing ears in adolescence and gradually elongating the lobes is gradually dying out. This warrior's body and his long braids have been smeared with red ochre mixed with animal fat.
In the early morning, young Samburu girls take kids to their mothers. They will then milk the nanny goats leaving half the mi...
In the early morning, young Samburu girls take kids to their mothers. They will then milk the nanny goats leaving half the milk for the kids. Only women and children milk goats although every member of the family will drink the milk.
A young Samburu boy sucks marrow straight from the leg bone of a cow. Marrow is a much sought-after delicacy. During every Sa...
A young Samburu boy sucks marrow straight from the leg bone of a cow. Marrow is a much sought-after delicacy. During every Samburu ceremony, livestock is slaughtered and meat is roasted over wood fires. Warriors will never eat meat in the presence of married women.
Himba women perform the otjiunda dance, stamping their feet, clapping and chanting while one of them gyrates in the centre of...
Himba women perform the otjiunda dance, stamping their feet, clapping and chanting while one of them gyrates in the centre of the circle. The Himba are Herero speaking Bantu nomads who live in the harsh, dry but starkly beautiful landscape of remote northwest Namibia.
Hamar women dance at a 'Jumping of the Bull ceremony. The Hamar are semi nomadic pastoralists of Southwest Ethiopia whose wom...
Hamar women dance at a 'Jumping of the Bull ceremony. The Hamar are semi nomadic pastoralists of Southwest Ethiopia whose women wear striking traditional dress and style their red ochred hair mop fashion
Turkana women and girls are responsible for watering livestock, which is unusual among pastoral societies. Here, a young girl...
Turkana women and girls are responsible for watering livestock, which is unusual among pastoral societies. Here, a young girl waters goats from a waterhole dug in the sand of a seasonal watercourse. Her young brother will control the flow of stock to the water trough. In the background, a man digs out another waterhole; they have to been deepened regularly towards the end of the dry season.
A young Amhara lady weaves a traditional food basket from dried grasses. These large colourful baskets are used for serving i...
A young Amhara lady weaves a traditional food basket from dried grasses. These large colourful baskets are used for serving injera, a fermented, bread-type pancake, which is the country's national dish.She is wearing the national dress of Ethiopia - a shamma. This garment is made of homespun cotton with a finely woven and often brightly coloured border.
A young Himba boy rides home comfortably on a donkey. Sheepskins and blankets make up his saddle. His body is smeared with a ...
A young Himba boy rides home comfortably on a donkey. Sheepskins and blankets make up his saddle. His body is smeared with a mixture of red ochre, butterfat and herbs. The Himba are Herero speaking Bantu nomads who live in the harsh, dry but starkly beautiful landscape of remote northwest Namibia.
A cluster of Dassanech granaries line the banks of the Omo River in front of a large settlement. The dome shaped granaries ar...
A cluster of Dassanech granaries line the banks of the Omo River in front of a large settlement. The dome shaped granaries are kept high off the ground to protect them from flood damage. The Omo River rises in the Ethiopian Highlands and flows for over 600 miles before discharging its waters into the northern end of Lake Turkana.
Samburu boys wearing the charcoal-blackened goatskin cloaks of those about to be circumcised drive their families' herds to t...
Samburu boys wearing the charcoal-blackened goatskin cloaks of those about to be circumcised drive their families' herds to their lorara (a purpose-built circumcision encampment), shortly before they undergo the ritual. A family's herds must be penned in the lorara until the circumcision
A Dassanech man stands on one leg in typical pose while looking after his familys cattle in the Omo Delta, one of the largest...
A Dassanech man stands on one leg in typical pose while looking after his familys cattle in the Omo Delta, one of the largest inland deltas in the world. The Dassanech speak a language of Eastern Cushitic origin. They practice animal husbandry and fishing as well as agriculture.
A Maasai elder herds his cattle near the foothills of Ol doinyo Orok (the Black Mountain).
The adornments of Samburu warriors change from generation to generation. In the 1990's cheap plastic flowers from China becam...
The adornments of Samburu warriors change from generation to generation. In the 1990's cheap plastic flowers from China became fashionable.
Samburu initiates sing during the month after their circumcision. As their wounds heal, their dances become more energetic. B...
Samburu initiates sing during the month after their circumcision. As their wounds heal, their dances become more energetic. Before long, they imitate the dances of the warriors which, hitherto, they have been forbidden to perform.
A Samburu woman wearing a mporro necklace, which denotes her married status. These necklaces were once made of hair from gira...
A Samburu woman wearing a mporro necklace, which denotes her married status. These necklaces were once made of hair from giraffe tails but nowadays, the fibres of doum palm fronds are used instead.
A Kung woman sings and claps her hands to the rhythm of her menfolk. The Kung are San hunter gatherers, often referred to as ...
A Kung woman sings and claps her hands to the rhythm of her menfolk. The Kung are San hunter gatherers, often referred to as Bushmen. The Kung live in the harsh environment of a vast expanse of flat sand and bush scrub country straddling the Namibia Botswana border.
Performers wear costumes of the Sani subgroup of Yi ethnic minority at stadium performance that culminates the annual June To...
Performers wear costumes of the Sani subgroup of Yi ethnic minority at stadium performance that culminates the annual June Torch Festival, Shilin, Yunnan Province, China.
A Maasai warrior resplendent with his long ochred braids tied in a pigtail watches over his family's cattle, spear in hand. T...
A Maasai warrior resplendent with his long ochred braids tied in a pigtail watches over his family's cattle, spear in hand. The singular hairstyle of warriors sets them apart from other members of their society.
A Samburu youth is circumcised outside his mothers house as his two sponsors attend him, one holding his shoulders while turn...
A Samburu youth is circumcised outside his mothers house as his two sponsors attend him, one holding his shoulders while turning his face away from the circumciser, the other holding his right leg.Boys are not allowed to show any sign of fear or pain.
Kenya,Laikipia. Laikipiak Maasai girls dressed in decorative headdresses and necklaces to attend a wedding.
Himba ornaments worn by a woman. Himba women smear their bodies with a mixture of red ochre, butterfat and herbs. They still ...
Himba ornaments worn by a woman. Himba women smear their bodies with a mixture of red ochre, butterfat and herbs. They still dress traditionally, wearing leather garments and a variety of ornaments made of leather with wood, ostrich shell and metal beads. The Himba are Herero-speaking Bantu nomads who live in the harsh, dry but starkly beautiful landscape of remote northwest Namibia.
The traditional weaponry of the Turkana warriors consisted of a long-shafted spear with a narrow blade, a small rectangular s...
The traditional weaponry of the Turkana warriors consisted of a long-shafted spear with a narrow blade, a small rectangular shield made of giraffe or buffalo hide, a wrist knife worn round the assailant's right wrist and one or two finger knives for gouging out an enemy's eyes. They must have been an awesome sight in full battle cry. Modern arms have now replaced the old ways of fighting.
Early in the morning, a Samburu youth sings the lebarta, the Samburu circumcision song, just after he has been circumcised ou...
Early in the morning, a Samburu youth sings the lebarta, the Samburu circumcision song, just after he has been circumcised outside his mothers house. One of his sponsors attends him by holding his back. Boys are not allowed to show any sign of fear or pain.
Maasai men lead a camel caravan laden with equipment for a 'fly camp' (a small temporary camp) close to Lake Magadi in beauti...
Maasai men lead a camel caravan laden with equipment for a 'fly camp' (a small temporary camp) close to Lake Magadi in beautiful late afternoon sunlight.
A Turkana woman with braided hair wearing heavy beaded necklaces and a black ostrich feather in the typical attire of Turkana...
A Turkana woman with braided hair wearing heavy beaded necklaces and a black ostrich feather in the typical attire of Turkana married women.
Maasai men ride camels in the dry bush country at Olorgasailie, situated between Nairobi and Lake Magadi.
The numerous decorated iron bracelets worn by a Datoga woman. During song and dance, she will rub them together to keep rhyth...
The numerous decorated iron bracelets worn by a Datoga woman. During song and dance, she will rub them together to keep rhythm. Her traditional attire includes a beautifully tanned leather dress embellished with beads. The Datoga (known to their Maasai neighbours as the Mang'ati and to the Iraqw as Babaraig) live in northern Tanzania and are primarily pastoralists.
A Maasai warrior resplendent with long ochred braids. His body has been smeared with red ochre mixed with animal fat while pa...
A Maasai warrior resplendent with long ochred braids. His body has been smeared with red ochre mixed with animal fat while parts of his face have been covered with ochre powder.
Two Samburu warriors resplendent with long Ochred braids and beaded ornaments relax in typical pose beside a river bank.
A Hamar woman at Turmi Market.The Hamar are semi-nomadic pastoralists of Southwest Ethiopia whose women wear striking traditi...
A Hamar woman at Turmi Market.The Hamar are semi-nomadic pastoralists of Southwest Ethiopia whose women wear striking traditional dress and style their red-ochred hair mop-fashion. Skins are widely used for clothing and heavy metal necklaces, bracelets and anklets form part of their adornments.
Blanket-clad Samburu elders converse outside a lorara, a purpose-built circumcision encampment for boys. The elders meet freq...
Blanket-clad Samburu elders converse outside a lorara, a purpose-built circumcision encampment for boys. The elders meet frequently in the days leading up to their sons' circumcision to discuss the arrangements.
Karo men excel in body art. Before a dance, they will decorate their faces and torsos elaborately using local white chalk, pu...
Karo men excel in body art. Before a dance, they will decorate their faces and torsos elaborately using local white chalk, pulverised rock and other natural pigments. While older men style their hair with clay, young men prefer to braid theirs. The Karo are a small tribe living in three main villages along the lower reaches of the Omo River in southwest Ethiopia.
A Datoga man with a spear. The Datoga (known to their Maasai neighbours as the Mang'ati and to the Iraqw as Babaraig) live in...
A Datoga man with a spear. The Datoga (known to their Maasai neighbours as the Mang'ati and to the Iraqw as Babaraig) live in northern Tanzania and are primarily pastoralists.
A young Samburu man leads a donkey carrying the basic structure of a temporary home. The curved sticks will be tied together ...
A young Samburu man leads a donkey carrying the basic structure of a temporary home. The curved sticks will be tied together in a dome and covered with hides and woven mats to form a temporary shelter in a stock camp. Donkeys are widely used by the Samburu as beasts of burden.
A Hamar woman at a Jumping of the Bull ceremony. The Hamar are semi nomadic pastoralists of Southwest Ethiopia whose women we...
A Hamar woman at a Jumping of the Bull ceremony. The Hamar are semi nomadic pastoralists of Southwest Ethiopia whose women wear striking traditional dress and style their red ochred hair mop fashion.
Gabbra women sing and dance to celebrate a wedding. The traditional metal ornamentation on their heads is called malmal.
A Datoga young man in traditional attire. His braids are embellished with beads and aluminium can openers. Many of his white ...
A Datoga young man in traditional attire. His braids are embellished with beads and aluminium can openers. Many of his white plastic bracelets are beautifully decorated with abstract and geometrical designs, long ago these bracelets would have been made of ivory.
Close up of a young Hamar womans attire during a Jumping of the Bull ceremony. She holds a Hamar tin trumpet in her right han...
Close up of a young Hamar womans attire during a Jumping of the Bull ceremony. She holds a Hamar tin trumpet in her right hand, which are only blown by women.The semi nomadic Hamar of Southwest Ethiopia embrace an age grade system that includes several rites of passage for young men.
A Hamar man waters his livestock from a waterhole in a seasonal river bed. Desert roses are flowering on the far bank. The Ha...
A Hamar man waters his livestock from a waterhole in a seasonal river bed. Desert roses are flowering on the far bank. The Hamar are semi nomadic pastoralists who live in harsh country around the Hamar Mountains of Southwest Ethiopia.
The decorated leather apron or skirt of a young Nyagatom girl. The numerous white discs woven into the strands of braided lea...
The decorated leather apron or skirt of a young Nyagatom girl. The numerous white discs woven into the strands of braided leather are made of ostrich shell. The Nyagatom are one of the largest tribes and arguably the most warlike people living along the Omo River in Southwest Ethiopia.
Two Maasai men ride camels near Lake Magadi in Kenya's Rift Valley Province. Although the Maasai do not customarily keep came...
Two Maasai men ride camels near Lake Magadi in Kenya's Rift Valley Province. Although the Maasai do not customarily keep camels, much of the semi-arid land of southern Maasailand is more suited to camels than cattle
A Himba woman in traditional attire. Her body gleams from a mixture of red ochre, butterfat and herbs. Her long hair is style...
A Himba woman in traditional attire. Her body gleams from a mixture of red ochre, butterfat and herbs. Her long hair is styled in the traditional Himba way and is crowned with a headdress made of lambskin, called erembe. Her large, round white beaded necklace, called ombwari, is worn by both sexes. Leather garments continue to be worn.
A Himba woman milks a cow in the stock enclosure close to her home. Traditional milk containers made from hollowed wood are p...
A Himba woman milks a cow in the stock enclosure close to her home. Traditional milk containers made from hollowed wood are preferred to their modern equivalents.The Himba are Herero speaking Bantu nomads who live in the harsh, dry but starkly beautiful landscape of remote northwest Namibia.
A Turkana woman sitting in the doorway of her hut. Her heavy mporro braided necklace identifies her as a married woman. Typic...
A Turkana woman sitting in the doorway of her hut. Her heavy mporro braided necklace identifies her as a married woman. Typical of her tribe, she wears many layers of bead necklaces and a beaded headband.
Maasai men ride camels in the dry bush country at Olorgasailie, situated between Nairobi and Lake Magadi.
A Hamar woman holds a tin trumpet at a Jumping of the Bull ceremony. The Hamar are semi nomadic pastoralists of Southwest Eth...
A Hamar woman holds a tin trumpet at a Jumping of the Bull ceremony. The Hamar are semi nomadic pastoralists of Southwest Ethiopia whose women wear striking traditional dress and style their red ochred hair mop fashion.
A Kereyu man with his fuzzy, well-oiled hair fashioned in a semi-circular shape. His long curved dagger is typical of his tri...
A Kereyu man with his fuzzy, well-oiled hair fashioned in a semi-circular shape. His long curved dagger is typical of his tribe. He wears unbleached cloth made from local cotton.
A pretty Borana girl at Mega in southern Ethiopia wears brightly coloured cotton cloth and numerous strings of beads.;The pas...
A pretty Borana girl at Mega in southern Ethiopia wears brightly coloured cotton cloth and numerous strings of beads.;The pastoral Borana live either side of the southern Ethiopian/northern Kenya border and form a large and important group of the Oromo-speaking cluster of tribes.
A group of Nyagatom men draw blood from a steer early in the morning. A leather tourniquet is tied round the animals neck bef...
A group of Nyagatom men draw blood from a steer early in the morning. A leather tourniquet is tied round the animals neck before the jugular pierced with a short, sharp arrow. Two or three pints will be drawn from a healthy steer, which will not be bled again for a month.
A Hadza girl wearing a beaded headband and necklaces. The Hadzabe are a thousand-strong community of hunter-gatherers who hav...
A Hadza girl wearing a beaded headband and necklaces. The Hadzabe are a thousand-strong community of hunter-gatherers who have lived in the Lake Eyasi basin for centuries. They are one of only four or five societies in the world that still earn a living primarily from wild resources.
A Hamar woman blows a tin trumpet at a Jumping of the Bull ceremony. The Hamar are semi nomadic pastoralists of Southwest Eth...
A Hamar woman blows a tin trumpet at a Jumping of the Bull ceremony. The Hamar are semi nomadic pastoralists of Southwest Ethiopia whose women wear striking traditional dress and style their red ochred hair mop fashion.
Sani ethnic minority drummers, wearing traditional Charwa or sheepskin vests, at stadium performance that culminates the annu...
Sani ethnic minority drummers, wearing traditional Charwa or sheepskin vests, at stadium performance that culminates the annual June Torch Festival, Shilin, Yunnan Province, China.
Samburu warriors sing in a circle during a wedding celebration. As they sing and dance, they twist their spears in unison. So...
Samburu warriors sing in a circle during a wedding celebration. As they sing and dance, they twist their spears in unison. Soloists ad-lib words to traditional tunes, praising the bravery of certain individuals or the bulls of their families' herds.
Performer depicts folk stories of Sani ethnic minority at stadium performance culminiting the annual June Torch Festival, Shi...
Performer depicts folk stories of Sani ethnic minority at stadium performance culminiting the annual June Torch Festival, Shilin, Yunnan Province, China.
Maasai men lead a camel caravan laden with equipment for a 'fly camp' (a small temporary camp) past Lake Magadi. Clouds hang ...
Maasai men lead a camel caravan laden with equipment for a 'fly camp' (a small temporary camp) past Lake Magadi. Clouds hang low over the Nguruman Escarpment (a western wall of the Great Rift Valley) in the distance.
Kenya, Masai Mara National Reserve. A safari guide spotting for tourists whilst out on safari.
A Mursi child is carried safely in her mothers decorated leather garments. The Mursi speak a Nilotic language and have affini...
A Mursi child is carried safely in her mothers decorated leather garments. The Mursi speak a Nilotic language and have affinities with the Shilluk and Anuak of eastern Sudan. They live in a remote area of southwest Ethiopia along the Omo River.
An old Kung man, his skin shrivelled with age, watches the singing and dancing of his friends. The Kung live in the harsh env...
An old Kung man, his skin shrivelled with age, watches the singing and dancing of his friends. The Kung live in the harsh environment of a vast expanse of flat sand and bush scrub country straddling the Namibia Botswana border.
A pretty Samburu girl dances with warriors of her tribeGirls arch their backs and by thrusting out their chests flick their n...
A pretty Samburu girl dances with warriors of her tribeGirls arch their backs and by thrusting out their chests flick their necklaces up and down as they dance silently to the songs of the warriors. 0B;
A Himba girl with a plaited hairstyle, which she will wear until adolescence. The Himba are Herero-speaking Bantu nomads who ...
A Himba girl with a plaited hairstyle, which she will wear until adolescence. The Himba are Herero-speaking Bantu nomads who live in the harsh, dry but starkly beautiful landscape of remote northwest Namibia
Warriors of the nomadic Afar tribe carry large curved daggers, known as jile, strapped to their waists. Proud and fiercely in...
Warriors of the nomadic Afar tribe carry large curved daggers, known as jile, strapped to their waists. Proud and fiercely independent, they live in the low-lying deserts of Eastern Ethiopia.
A Mursi child is carried safely in her mothers decorated leather garments. The Mursi speak a Nilotic language and have affini...
A Mursi child is carried safely in her mothers decorated leather garments. The Mursi speak a Nilotic language and have affinities with the Shilluk and Anuak of eastern Sudan. They live in a remote area of southwest Ethiopia along the Omo River.
A Karo girl with the ringlets of her hair caked with clay and red ochre an unusual hairstyle but not uncommon along the Omo R...
A Karo girl with the ringlets of her hair caked with clay and red ochre an unusual hairstyle but not uncommon along the Omo River.The Karo are a small tribe living in three main villages along the lower reaches of the Omo River in southwest Ethiopia.
A Mursi girl dressed in finely decorated leather garments with a beautifully made basket over one shoulder. Her partially sha...
A Mursi girl dressed in finely decorated leather garments with a beautifully made basket over one shoulder. Her partially shaven head is the typical hairstyle of her tribe. The Mursi speak a Nilotic language and have affinities with the Shilluk and Anuak of eastern Sudan. They live in a remote area of southwest Ethiopia along the Omo River.
An old Datoga woman. Her traditional attire includes a beautifully tanned and decorated leather dress The Datoga (known to th...
An old Datoga woman. Her traditional attire includes a beautifully tanned and decorated leather dress The Datoga (known to their Maasai neighbours as the Mang'ati and to the Iraqw as Babaraig) live in northern Tanzania and are primarily pastoralists.
Gabbra women sing and dance to celebrate a wedding. The traditional metal ornamentation on their heads is called malmal.
An Afar girl with braided hair has very noticeable scarification on her cheeks. Scarification is practiced in only a few sect...
An Afar girl with braided hair has very noticeable scarification on her cheeks. Scarification is practiced in only a few sections of her tribe. Proud and fiercely independent, the nomadic Afar people live in the low-lying deserts of Eastern Ethiopia
A Samburu mother wears an ochred goatskin cape ready for milking a cow the evening before her son is circumcised. This distin...
A Samburu mother wears an ochred goatskin cape ready for milking a cow the evening before her son is circumcised. This distinctive cape is worn only at circumcision ceremonies. The milk must be drawn from a cow that has not given birth more than twice and will be poured over her son's head just before he is circumcised early the next morning.
The stretched lower lip of this Mursi woman is unsightly when she takes out her large clay lip plate. She has a leather apron...
The stretched lower lip of this Mursi woman is unsightly when she takes out her large clay lip plate. She has a leather apron decorated with metal rings on her head to shade her from the sun. Shortly before marriage, a girls lower lip will be pierced and progressively stretched over a year or so while some of her teeth will be removed for the plate to fit snugly. The size of the lip plate often determines the quantum of the bride price.
Kung hunter gatherers pause to smoke a communal metal pipe during a days hunting.The Kung live in the harsh environment of a ...
Kung hunter gatherers pause to smoke a communal metal pipe during a days hunting.The Kung live in the harsh environment of a vast expanse of flat sand and bush scrub country straddling the Namibia Botswana border.
A Turkana woman wears all the finery of her tribe: brass lip plug, beaded collar decorated with bleached shells of the Africa...
A Turkana woman wears all the finery of her tribe: brass lip plug, beaded collar decorated with bleached shells of the African land snail, leaf-like ear ornaments and metal earrings from which hang tiny rings of goat horn.
In the late afternoon, Nyagatom villagers enjoy singing and dancing. As groups of men take centre stage to jump high in the a...
In the late afternoon, Nyagatom villagers enjoy singing and dancing. As groups of men take centre stage to jump high in the air, women and girls sing, clap to a rhythm, and move slowly towards the men. Children enjoy the excitement in the background. The Nyagatom are one of the largest tribes and arguably the most warlike people living along the Omo River in Southwest Ethiopia.
Ethiopia, Omo Delta. A woman from the Karo tribe, famous for their face painting, with her child.
An elder of the Karo tribe, a small Omotic tribe related to the Hamar, who live along the banks of the Omo River in southwest...
An elder of the Karo tribe, a small Omotic tribe related to the Hamar, who live along the banks of the Omo River in southwestern Ethiopia. The Karo are renowned for their elaborate body painting using white chalk, crushed rock and other natural pigments. This man also has a clay hairdo typical of tribal elders. Like most adult males he carries a rifle.
A Pokot woman in traditional attire with patterned cicatrices on her back attends an Atelo ceremony. Her broad belt is made w...
A Pokot woman in traditional attire with patterned cicatrices on her back attends an Atelo ceremony. Her broad belt is made with the metacarpus and metatarsal bones of dikdiks interspersed with beads.
Turkana elders wear decorative ivory lip ornaments, secured in position by a spigot which is inserted in a hole pierced below...
Turkana elders wear decorative ivory lip ornaments, secured in position by a spigot which is inserted in a hole pierced below the man's lower lip after initiation. This singular form of decoration was once widespread but is rarely seen today. Likewise, the traditional clay hairdo is gradually dying out.
Warriors of the nomadic Afar tribe wear their hair long and carry large curved daggers, known as jile, strapped to their wais...
Warriors of the nomadic Afar tribe wear their hair long and carry large curved daggers, known as jile, strapped to their waists. Proud and fiercely independent, they live in the low lying deserts of Eastern Ethiopia. Many Ethiopians from the Highlands fear them.
A magnificent view from the eastern scarp of Africa's Great Rift Valley at Losiolo, north of Maralal. From 8,000 feet the lan...
A magnificent view from the eastern scarp of Africa's Great Rift Valley at Losiolo, north of Maralal. From 8,000 feet the land tumbles away 3,000 feet into rugged valleys and a broad plain, the domain of nomadic pastoralists, before rising again 75 miles away. The views at Losiolo are the finest in Kenya of the largest, longest and most conspicuous physical feature of its kind on earth. A Samburu warrior looks out over the vast expanse.
Maasai girls in all their finery and with bells tied round their legs wait at the entrance to a house before dancing with war...
Maasai girls in all their finery and with bells tied round their legs wait at the entrance to a house before dancing with warriors.
A group of Nyagatom men draw blood from a steer early in the morning. A leather tourniquet is tied round the animals neck bef...
A group of Nyagatom men draw blood from a steer early in the morning. A leather tourniquet is tied round the animals neck before the jugular pierced with a short, sharp arrow. Two or three pints will be drawn from a healthy steer, which will not be bled again for a month.
Song is an art form ingrained in Turkana culture. At the end of a dance session, the participants invariably enjoy the Song o...
Song is an art form ingrained in Turkana culture. At the end of a dance session, the participants invariably enjoy the Song of the Bulls. Each young man will take centre-stage to extol the praises of his favourite ox. He will explain how it came into his possession, its distinguishing traits and with outstretched arms, imitate the shape of its horns.
Myanmar, Burma, Wan doi. An old woman of the small Ann tribe in traditional attire sitting on the raised platform of her hous...
Myanmar, Burma, Wan doi. An old woman of the small Ann tribe in traditional attire sitting on the raised platform of her house as she smokes a pipe.
An attractive girl from the Kediyo tribe carries a large, beautifully made umbrella. Its wooden frame is covered with the dri...
An attractive girl from the Kediyo tribe carries a large, beautifully made umbrella. Its wooden frame is covered with the dried leaves of ensete, the false banana plant (seen growing in the background). Widely cultivated in southern Ethiopia, ensete roots and stems, which are rich in carbohydrates, are either cooked and eaten as a porridge or made into bread.
A Himba girl drinks milk with a wooden spoon from a beautifully made woven container made from local grasses, which is plaste...
A Himba girl drinks milk with a wooden spoon from a beautifully made woven container made from local grasses, which is plastered with animal fat and ochre on the outside to prevent it leaking.The Himba are Herero speaking Bantu nomads who live in the harsh, dry but starkly beautiful landscape of remote northwest Namibia.
A Dassanech man poles a dug-out canoe across the muddy waters of a tributary of the Omo River in its delta near Lake Turkana....
A Dassanech man poles a dug-out canoe across the muddy waters of a tributary of the Omo River in its delta near Lake Turkana. The Omo has one of the largest inland deltas in the world and is home to a large section of Dassanech people who speak a language of Eastern Cushitic origin.
A young Dassanech girl wears a beautiful array of beaded necklaces. Much the largest of the tribes in the Omo Valley numberin...
A young Dassanech girl wears a beautiful array of beaded necklaces. Much the largest of the tribes in the Omo Valley numbering around 50,000, the Dassanech (also known as the Galeb, Changila or Merille) are Nilotic pastoralists and agriculturalists.
A Hamar man with an unusual hairstyle decorates a girls face before the start of a Jumping of the Bull ceremony.The semi noma...
A Hamar man with an unusual hairstyle decorates a girls face before the start of a Jumping of the Bull ceremony.The semi nomadic Hamar of Southwest Ethiopia embrace an age grade system that includes several rites of passage for young men.
A Pokot woman in traditional attire dances to celebrate an Atelo ceremony. Her broad belt is made with the metacarpus and met...
A Pokot woman in traditional attire dances to celebrate an Atelo ceremony. Her broad belt is made with the metacarpus and metatarsal bones of dikdiks interspersed with beads.
A group of Hamar women dance and blow tin trumpets at a Jumping of the Bull ceremony. The Hamar are semi nomadic pastoralists...
A group of Hamar women dance and blow tin trumpets at a Jumping of the Bull ceremony. The Hamar are semi nomadic pastoralists of Southwest Ethiopia whose women wear striking traditional dress and style their red ochred hair mop fashion.
A Maasai warrior speaks on his mobile phone from the saddle of his camel near Lake Magadi in Kenyas Rift Valley Province. Mob...
A Maasai warrior speaks on his mobile phone from the saddle of his camel near Lake Magadi in Kenyas Rift Valley Province. Mobile phones are a popular method of communicating with family and friends in remote areas of Kenya.
At sunrise, a Samburu warrior leads baggage camels down the Milgis lugga - a wide, sandy seasonal watercourse. Water is never...
At sunrise, a Samburu warrior leads baggage camels down the Milgis lugga - a wide, sandy seasonal watercourse. Water is never far below the surface of the Milgis and is a lifeline for Samburu pastoralists in this semi-arid region of their district.
An Herero woman stands in the shade outside her home. The origins of her elaborate dress and unique hat style can be traced b...
An Herero woman stands in the shade outside her home. The origins of her elaborate dress and unique hat style can be traced back to 19th century German missionaries who took exception to what they considered an immodest form of dress among the tribe.
A Dorze man sits outside his home smoking locally grown tobacco using a traditional long stemmed pipe. Living in highlands we...
A Dorze man sits outside his home smoking locally grown tobacco using a traditional long stemmed pipe. Living in highlands west of the Abyssinian Rift Valley, the Dorze have a unique style of building their homes. Dorze men are synonymous with weaving the best cotton cloth in Ethiopia. This man had woven his colourful attire himself.
A Samburu warrior plays a homemade flute overlooking Poi, a prominent rock feature in the Ndoto Mountains of Samburuland. The...
A Samburu warrior plays a homemade flute overlooking Poi, a prominent rock feature in the Ndoto Mountains of Samburuland. The Samburu of Northern Kenya are a semi-nomadic pastoral community related to their more famous cousins, the _maa speaking Maasai.
The ochre worn by a married Hamar girl glows deep red in the late afternoon light.;The Hamar are semi-nomadic pastoralists of...
The ochre worn by a married Hamar girl glows deep red in the late afternoon light.;The Hamar are semi-nomadic pastoralists of Southwest Ethiopia whose women and girls wear striking traditional dress. Skins are widely used for clothing and heavy metal necklaces, bracelets and anklets form part of a woman's adornments. Cowries are also popular to embellish their appearance.
A Nyangatom woman grinds sorghum using two stones. Typical of her tribe, she wears a heavily beaded calfskin skirt, multiple ...
A Nyangatom woman grinds sorghum using two stones. Typical of her tribe, she wears a heavily beaded calfskin skirt, multiple layers of bead necklaces and metal bracelets and amulets. The Nyangatom or Bume are a Nilotic tribe of semi-nomadic pastoralists who live along the banks of the Omo River in south-western Ethiopia.
A Maasai girl in traditional attire. The predominant white colour of her beadwork and the circular scar on her cheek denote t...
A Maasai girl in traditional attire. The predominant white colour of her beadwork and the circular scar on her cheek denote that she is from the Kisongo section of the Maasai, the largest clan group, which lives either side of the border in Kenya and Tanzania.
A group of Nyagatom girls and women with beautifully decorated leather skirts gather to dance.The Nyagatom are one of the lar...
A group of Nyagatom girls and women with beautifully decorated leather skirts gather to dance.The Nyagatom are one of the largest tribes and arguably the most warlike people living along the Omo River in Southwest Ethiopia.
A young Nyangatom woman carries her baby on her hip in an elaborately braided papoose. Her hair has been reddened with a mixt...
A young Nyangatom woman carries her baby on her hip in an elaborately braided papoose. Her hair has been reddened with a mixture of ochre and animal fat. Typical of her tribe, she wears a calfskin skirt, multiple layers of bead necklaces and metal bracelets and amulets. The Nyangatom or Bume are a Nilotic tribe of semi-nomadic pastoralists who live along the banks of the Omo River in south-western Ethiopia.
Himba women perform the otjiunda dance, stamping their feet, clapping and chanting while one of them gyrates in the centre of...
Himba women perform the otjiunda dance, stamping their feet, clapping and chanting while one of them gyrates in the centre of the circle. The Himba are Herero speaking Bantu nomads who live in the harsh, dry but starkly beautiful landscape of remote northwest Namibia.
A Samburu youth sitting on an ox hide just after he has been circumcised outside his mothers house. His two sponsors attend h...
A Samburu youth sitting on an ox hide just after he has been circumcised outside his mothers house. His two sponsors attend him, one holding his shoulders, the other preparing to help carry him into the house.
A Maasai warrior blows a trumpet fashioned from the horn of a Greater Kudu. The strap is decorated with cowrie shells. Kudu-h...
A Maasai warrior blows a trumpet fashioned from the horn of a Greater Kudu. The strap is decorated with cowrie shells. Kudu-horn trumpets are only sounded to call men to arms or on ceremonial occasions.
A Himba woman in traditional attire. Her body gleams from a mixture of red ochre, butterfat and herbs. Her long hair is style...
A Himba woman in traditional attire. Her body gleams from a mixture of red ochre, butterfat and herbs. Her long hair is styled in the traditional Himba way and is crowned with a headdress made of lambskin, which is called erembe.
Two happy Himba girls with appealing hairstyles clap to the rhythm of a dance. Their ornaments include white beaded necklaces...
Two happy Himba girls with appealing hairstyles clap to the rhythm of a dance. Their ornaments include white beaded necklaces, called ombwari, a tradition of all Himba people. The Himba are Herero speaking Bantu nomads who live in the harsh, dry but starkly beautiful landscape of remote northwest Namibia.
A small girl, her body smeared with a mixture of red ochre, butterfat and herbs, wears a round white beaded necklace, called ...
A small girl, her body smeared with a mixture of red ochre, butterfat and herbs, wears a round white beaded necklace, called ombwari, a tradition of all Himba people. The Himba are Herero speaking Bantu nomads who live in the harsh, dry but starkly beautiful landscape of remote northwest Namibia.
A Datoga young man, spear in hand, has decorated the edges of his check cotton wrap with old zips.The Datoga (known to their ...
A Datoga young man, spear in hand, has decorated the edges of his check cotton wrap with old zips.The Datoga (known to their Maasai neighbours as the Mang'ati and to the Iraqw as Babaraig) live in northern Tanzania and are primarily pastoralists.
Himba women perform the otjiunda dance, stamping their feet, clapping and chanting while one of them gyrates in the centre of...
Himba women perform the otjiunda dance, stamping their feet, clapping and chanting while one of them gyrates in the centre of the circle. The Himba are Herero speaking Bantu nomads who live in the harsh, dry but starkly beautiful landscape of remote northwest Namibia.
An Ethiopian man wears a headdress made from the skin of a gelada, a unique baboon like primate that lives at high altitudes ...
An Ethiopian man wears a headdress made from the skin of a gelada, a unique baboon like primate that lives at high altitudes in northern Ethiopia, and a cloak embroidered with Ethiopia's imperial lion.
Maasai warriors in traditional attire with long braided hair and spears at hand leave the weekly livestock market at Engaruka...
Maasai warriors in traditional attire with long braided hair and spears at hand leave the weekly livestock market at Engaruka in northern Tanzania. The only break with tradition is an umbrella in favourite Maasai hues.
Young woman tour guide dressed in Sani ethnic minority costume, Naigu Stone Forest, Shilin, Yunnan Province, China.
The traditional back ornament of Himba women, called eha. They are fashioned from homemade metal studs backed onto leather an...
The traditional back ornament of Himba women, called eha. They are fashioned from homemade metal studs backed onto leather and come in a variety of patterns. The Himba are Herero speaking Bantu nomads who live in the harsh, dry but starkly beautiful landscape of remote northwest Namibia.
Song is an art form ingrained in Turkana culture. In this picture, young men and girls are performing the naleyo, the only da...
Song is an art form ingrained in Turkana culture. In this picture, young men and girls are performing the naleyo, the only dance among a repertoire of more than twenty where couples dance together. The songs narrate love stories about small animals such as tortoises, hares, squirrels and dikdiks.
A Hadza hunter wearing a baboon skin cape straightens a new arrow shaft in his teeth.The Hadzabe are a thousand-strong commun...
A Hadza hunter wearing a baboon skin cape straightens a new arrow shaft in his teeth.The Hadzabe are a thousand-strong community of hunter-gatherers who have lived in the Lake Eyasi basin for centuries. They are one of only four or five societies in the world that still earn a living primarily from wild resources.
China, Yunnan, Xishuangbanna. A lady of the Jinuo ethnic minority group, wearing the distinctive Dutch style hat, near Jingho...
China, Yunnan, Xishuangbanna. A lady of the Jinuo ethnic minority group, wearing the distinctive Dutch style hat, near Jinghong.
Men dance during a month long Dassanech ceremony. They wear leopard, cheetah or serval cat skins draped on their backs and bl...
Men dance during a month long Dassanech ceremony. They wear leopard, cheetah or serval cat skins draped on their backs and black ostrich-feather headdresses. They dance holding long sticks and simulated shields. Their faces and bodies are smeared with mud giving them a singular appearance.
A blanket-clad Samburu elder. In the days leading up to his son's circumcision, he becomes distinctly nervous of his son's co...
A blanket-clad Samburu elder. In the days leading up to his son's circumcision, he becomes distinctly nervous of his son's conduct during the operation. Should a boy show signs of fear or cry out, he brings terrible shame to his family.
In their dances, Samburu warriors take it in turns to leap high in the air from a standing position without bending their kne...
In their dances, Samburu warriors take it in turns to leap high in the air from a standing position without bending their knees. This is achieved by flexing their ankles in a seemingly effortless way. Their long Ochred braids distinguish them from other members of their society.
Immediately a Samburu youth has been circumcised, his ritual sponsors and friends will draw blood from an ox by tying a rope ...
Immediately a Samburu youth has been circumcised, his ritual sponsors and friends will draw blood from an ox by tying a rope tourniquet round the animals neck and piercing the jugular with a short, sharp arrow. A mixture of blood and milk will be given to the initiate to drink while he recovers from the operation in his mothers house.
A Samburu initiate with bird skins hanging from his headband. While their wounds heal for a month after circumcision, initiat...
A Samburu initiate with bird skins hanging from his headband. While their wounds heal for a month after circumcision, initiates spend their time attempting to kill as many birds as they can with a club and four blunt arrows. When a bird is killed, it is skinned without using a knife, stuffed with dry grass and attached to the boy's head band by means of its beak. =
A young Mursi girl carries a grinding stone on her head. The Mursi speak a Nilotic language and have affinities with the Shil...
A young Mursi girl carries a grinding stone on her head. The Mursi speak a Nilotic language and have affinities with the Shilluk and Anuak of eastern Sudan. They live in a remote area of southwest Ethiopia along the Omo River.
Kenya, Laikipia. A Samburu woman wears layers of beaded necklaces and an elaborate beaded headdress.
A young mother and child of the Arsi-Oromo people west of Aje. Both have unusual hairstyles. The braids falling from the crow...
A young mother and child of the Arsi-Oromo people west of Aje. Both have unusual hairstyles. The braids falling from the crown of the mother's head have been attractively woven with wool to make a colourful fringe.
Himba women perform the otjiunda dance, stamping their feet, clapping and chanting while one of them gyrates in the centre of...
Himba women perform the otjiunda dance, stamping their feet, clapping and chanting while one of them gyrates in the centre of the circle. The Himba are Herero speaking Bantu nomads who live in the harsh, dry but starkly beautiful landscape of remote northwest Namibia.
The bonnet like headdress of this young Himba girl is a visible sign of her recent marriage. Known as ekori, the leather garm...
The bonnet like headdress of this young Himba girl is a visible sign of her recent marriage. Known as ekori, the leather garment is handed down from generation to generation and will be worn for at least a month after her wedding. The Himba are Herero speaking Bantu nomads who live in the harsh, dry but starkly beautiful landscape of remote northwest Namibia.
A band of Kung hunter gatherers makes a stealthy approach towards an antelope, their bows and arrows at the ready.The Kung li...
A band of Kung hunter gatherers makes a stealthy approach towards an antelope, their bows and arrows at the ready.The Kung live in the harsh environment of a vast expanse of flat sand and bush scrub country straddling the Namibia Botswana border.
The evening before a Samburu boy is circumcised, he must lean over his mother under a special ochred goatskin cape as she mil...
The evening before a Samburu boy is circumcised, he must lean over his mother under a special ochred goatskin cape as she milks a cow that has not given birth more than twice. This milk will be kept overnight in a traditional wooden gourd-like container and will be poured over the boy's head just before he is circumcised early the next morning.
The Turkana spear-fish in the shallow waters of Lake Turkana. The wooden shaft has a detachable metal tip with a sharp barb, ...
The Turkana spear-fish in the shallow waters of Lake Turkana. The wooden shaft has a detachable metal tip with a sharp barb, which is secured to the end of a long piece of rope. Here, a fisherman waits motionlessly at the ready while standing on a raft made from four or five doum palm logs lashed together.
The leather skirt of a Nyagatom girl richly decorated with metal beads. The Nyagatom are one of the largest tribes and arguab...
The leather skirt of a Nyagatom girl richly decorated with metal beads. The Nyagatom are one of the largest tribes and arguably the most warlike people living along the Omo River in Southwest Ethiopia.
A young Himba girl in traditional attire. Her body gleams from a mixture of red ochre, butterfat and herbs. Her long hair is ...
A young Himba girl in traditional attire. Her body gleams from a mixture of red ochre, butterfat and herbs. Her long hair is styled in the traditional Himba way. The Himba are Herero speaking Bantu nomads who live in the harsh, dry but starkly beautiful landscape of remote northwest Namibia.
A Dassanech girl leaning against a bale of cattle fodder on a raised platform is silhouetted against the evening sky at a set...
A Dassanech girl leaning against a bale of cattle fodder on a raised platform is silhouetted against the evening sky at a settlement alongside the Omo River. Much the largest of the tribes in the Omo Valley numbering around 50,000, the Dassanech (also known as the Galeb, Changila or Merille) are Nilotic pastoralists and agriculturalists.
A young Samburu girl dances during a wedding celebration. By arching her back and thrusting out her chest, she flicks her bea...
A young Samburu girl dances during a wedding celebration. By arching her back and thrusting out her chest, she flicks her beaded necklaces up and down while dancing silently to the songs of the warriors. Her body and necklace have been smeared with red ochre.
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