A photographer who travelled around Africa documenting tribal societies says the people were some of the happiest he'd ever met, despite their simple living conditions. Mario Gerth, 38, from Erfurt, Germany, toured the continent over seven years and was introduced to traditional societies were people wore animal skin clothing and lived in huts made from cow dung. 'The first thing that I noticed about the tribes was how extremely happy they all are,' he says. 'They live in such harsh environments, but they bring such colour and laughter to the land.'
A woman from the Ethiopian Muris tribe, captured on camera by German photographer Mario Gerth, 38, who spent seven years travelling through Africa and documenting traditional societies
Women from the Muris tribe wear huge lip plates as a sign of beauty, and make their own body paint from natural materials such as chalk and soil
'The tribes have met and learnt from people from developed areas of our world before,' he explains. 'But they're content with the life that they have. They see no need to change.'
When girls hit puberty they have their bottom two teeth removed before a small hole is cut into the lower lip. A clay disc is then inserted into the hole, which is steadily increased, stretching the lip
Children from the Surma tribe of Ethiopia wearing face paint made from herbs and plants mixed with white clay
A young member of the Arbore tribe from Ethiopia's lower Omo Valley where people live a simple life, hunting and raising cattle
'A lot of people who have seen my photographs told me how they made them think about their own lives and the true meaning of true happiness.'
Mario met hundreds of different tribe members, including women with clay discs inserted into stretched piercings, warrior men and children that hunt animals for food.
During his travels the photographer visited the Arbore tribe in Ethiopia's lower Omo Valley where the way of life has barely changed for thousands of years.
People live a simple existence by the banks of the River Omo, where they hunt and raise cattle.
Women cover their heads with black cloth, but are known for their colourful necklaces and earrings, and children often wear hats that look like shells to protect their heads from the sun.
They believe in the power of song and dance to drive away negative energy, and that the tribe will prosper once this bad energy is banished.
A boy from the Karo tribe, which is made up of about 1,000 people who survive on agriculture and fishing. Men are known to paint their bodies and wear floral garlands and jewellery to celebrate important festivities or as a means of attracting the opposite sex
Children from the Arbore tribe wear shell like hats to protect their heads from the sun
Women from the Arbore tribe cover their heads with black cloths but are known for their love of colourful necklaces and earrings
Also in Ethiopia, Mario met women from the Surma and Muris tribes who wear enormous lip plates as a sign of beauty.
These rituals which are extremely painful are said by some anthropologists are a type of controlled violence; a way of getting the younger tribe members used to seeing blood and feeling pain
When girls hit puberty they have their bottom two teeth removed before a small hole is cut into their bottom lip.
A clay disc is then inserted into the hole, which is steadily increased, stretching the lip, much like flesh-tunnel piercings which have become popular with teenagers in the UK.
The larger the lip plate the more cows the girl's father can demand in dowry when his daughter is married - usually 40 for a small plate and 60 for a larger one.
Men on the other hand take part in the considerably less-painful ritual of body painting.
A basic paint is made from herbs and plants mixed with soil, before the tribesmen cover themselves with it, sculpting it into patterns.
In recent years, some young women from the tribes are refusing to have their lips pierced, as removing their teeth can be a violent and sometimes traumatising task.
Meanwhile, the men are known for scarring their bodies after they kill someone from an enemy tribe.
A young woman from the Hamar tribe in Ethiopia wearing an animal skin and elaborate beaded jewellery
A young girl and her baby from the Hamar tribe. When a male relative wants to marry, a Hamar girl faces being beaten to create a 'blood debt' to remind him to help her if she goes through tough times in the future
A warrior from the Himba tribe in Namibia (left). Himba women wear incredibly elaborate styles that change depending on whether or not they're married and on how old they are. A woman from the Dassanech tribe in Ethiopia wears a brightly coloured beaded collar (right)
'The Suri pride themselves on their scars and how many they carry,' Mario explains.
'These rituals which are extremely painful are said by some anthropologists are a type of controlled violence; a way of getting the younger tribe members used to seeing blood and feeling pain.
'It is also a way of adapting these young children to their violent environment.'
Another brutal tradition is an initiation rite practiced by Ethiopia's Hamar people.
Hamar men spend the majority of the time caring for cattle, which are also used to pay the dowry when the man takes a wife.
When a young man comes of age, he takes part in a cow jumping ceremony, which involves contenders attempting to leap over a row of 15 cows made extra slippery with dung.
If he fails, he cannot marry and will be beaten by the watching women.
At the same ceremony, the man's sisters and other female relatives are beaten bloody to create a blood debt so the man remembers to help them should they face tough times in the future.
Mario also visited the Samburu tribe near Lake Turkana in northern Kenya. This semi nomadic people mainly raise cattle, but also keep sheep, goats and camels.
The tribe is what's known as a gerontocracy, meaning older people hold the highest position in society and have the first choice when it comes to marriages and taking on further wives.
A young woman from the Hamar tribe and her child dressed in animal skin and intricate beaded jewellery
An elderly woman of the Dassanech tribe in Ethiopia brandishes a hunting spear. In many tribal societies older people are revered and given higher social status than the young
Mario met members of the Samburu tribe in Kenya. Their society is a gentocracy, meaning older people are given the highest social status, and men often remain unmarried until they reach their 30s
This means men up to the age of 30 often remain unmarried, and continue living an adolescent lifestyle.
Travelling to southern Angola, Mario visited the Mumuhuila tribe who live along the country's border with Namibia. The women are known to spend several hours each morning making themselves as beautiful as possible, and their first task is to take care of their hair.
Mario says: 'Using elements such as butter, oil, cow dung and herbs, these fascinating women can create a style out of almost everything.
'Beads, shells and colours from stones help them to create their masterpieces.'
Mario says: 'I think the biggest difference between the lives of the tribes and the western world is time.
'We're constantly measuring time, rushing to meetings, appointments; there's never enough and we're always "running out of time".
'The tribes do not live like this - they don't measure time at all.
'The people enjoy spending their days with their families, hunting, cooking and making things - they are some of the happiest people that I have ever met.'
Mario says the tribal people he got to know on his travels were among the happiest he's ever met, even though many live in harsh environments
Women from the Mumuhuilaare in Angola are known to spend several hours each morning making themselves as beautiful as possible, and use beads, stones and shells to make jewellery
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