The Prehistoric Rock Art of Tassili N'Ajjer Algeria

Tassili n'Ajjer is a vast desert plateau inwards southern People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , stretching from the borders alongside Niger too Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya to the eastward , to equally far equally Amguid inwards the westward , roofing an expanse of 72 ,000 sq. km. Thousands of years of changing Saharan climate too erosion bring created stunning geological features alongside towering sandstone pillars , deep canyons too to a greater extent than than 300 natural arches.

Tassili n'Ajjer shot into worldwide fame inwards the 1930s , non for its landscape but for the precious collection of ancient stone fine art inwards the area. Since their regain , to a greater extent than than fifteen ,000 petroglyphs too paintings bring been identified representing 10 ,000 years of human history too environmental change. One of the most striking characteristic of these petroglyphs is the agency they evolved alongside the alter inwards climate.

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Petroglyph depicting a perhaps sleeping antelope , located at Tassili n’Ajjer inwards southern Algeria. Photo credit: Linus Wolf/Wikimedia

The oldest fine art belongs to the so-called “Large Wild Fauna Period” (10 ,000-6 ,000 BC) characterized almost alone yesteryear engravings of animals such equally hippopotamus , crocodiles , elephants , giraffes , buffaloes too rhinos , depicting the abundant wild animals at a fourth dimension when the Sahara was light-green too fertile. Humans seem equally tiny figures dwarfed yesteryear the immensity of these animals too are oft shown holding boomerangs or throwing sticks , clubs , axes or bows.

Overlapping alongside this era is the Round Head Period (8 ,000-6 ,000 BC) where human figures alongside elaborate attires took dominance. These figures ranged from a few centimeters to several meters tall. The bulk of Round Head paintings portray people alongside circular featureless heads too formless bodies. Some of the pieces seem to advise shamanism alongside bodies flight through infinite or bowing earlier huge manly someone figures that tower higher upwardly them.

About vii ,000 years agone , domesticated animals began to seem inwards the art. This current is known equally the Pastoral Period. Rock fine art from this current reflects a changing mental attitude towards nature too property. Human figures became to a greater extent than prominent , too human being was no longer shown equally business office of nature but portrayed equally beingness higher upwardly nature , even too thus able to derive sustenance from it. Wild animals gave agency to cattle too stock. Later drawings (3500 years ago) depicts horses too horse-drawn chariots. It’s unlikely that chariots were e'er driven across the rocky Sahara , too thus researchers believe the figures of chariots too armed men are symbolic , representing ownership of solid reason , or command of its inhabitants. As the climate became progressively drier , horses were replaced yesteryear camels equally evident from the stone fine art from the most recent current almost 2000 years ago.

Tassili N'Ajjer lies almost 500 meters higher upwardly the marker of the desert. The plateau tin precisely last reached yesteryear climbing on human foot , alongside camping ground materials too supplies drawn yesteryear donkeys too camels. Large diurnal temperature variations too the absence of basic amenities brand the trip extremely challenging , too thus precisely the immature too the hardy endeavor to accomplish it. Recent violence too insecurity inwards the province bring farther isolated Tassili N'Ajjer from the routes of most tourists.

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