Final answer:
While the references provided do not specify an exact animal, cattle or herd animals are inferred to have held ritual significance in the central Sahara 5000 years ago based on pastoral scenes in rock art.
Step-by-step explanation:
The animal that held ritual significance in the central Sahara 5000 years ago is not explicitly mentioned in the provided references, which focus on the cultural practices and artifacts from different eras and regions. However, considering the hints from rock art in the central Sahara that depict pastoral scenes, one may infer that cattle or other herd animals could have held such significance. This is underlined by the rock painting at Tassili n’Ajjer, Algeria, showing women with a herd, which suggests the importance of animal husbandry and possibly the cultural reverence for these animals.
As rituals often evolve around sources of life and sustenance, it is likely that cattle, being a central part of their economy and lifestyle, were featured in rituals due to their importance in daily life. While evidence of terracotta figurines with animal heads suggests the use of animal imagery in ritualistic practices by ancient cultures, these references do not directly detail which specific animal was ritually significant in the central Sahara 5000 years ago.