Saharan rock art
Saharan rock art represents a significant cultural heritage, tracing the evolution of human life and environmental changes in the Sahara Desert over millennia. Dating back to around 9000 BCE, this art emerged when the Sahara was lush and teeming with wildlife, allowing nomadic groups to settle and develop distinct cultural practices. More than 30,000 paintings and engravings have been discovered, particularly concentrated in the Tassili region of Algeria.
The artwork is categorized into four distinct periods: Bubaline, Cattle, Horse, and Camel. The earliest, the Bubaline period, features large engravings of the now-extinct Bubalus antiquus and other fauna, highlighting a hunting lifestyle. As the environment transformed, the subsequent Cattle period shifted focus to domesticated animals, illustrating the transition from hunting to herding practices. The Horse period introduced depictions of horses and chariots, reflecting advancements in travel and trade. Finally, the Camel period brought new cultural elements, including the introduction of camels and early forms of written communication. These rock art traditions offer invaluable insights into the lives and adaptations of ancient Saharan peoples as they migrated due to the region's increasing aridity.
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Saharan rock art
Related civilization: North Africa.
Date: c. 8000 b.c.e.-700 c.e.
Locale: Northern Africa
Saharan Rock Art
In 9000 b.c.e., the area now known as the Sahara was filled with vegetation and animal life. Previously nomadic groups established settlements there; their cultural development is chronicled in more than 30,000 paintings and engravings, half located near the southern Algerian area of Tassili.
These works are divided on the basis of subject matter into four periods: the Bubaline, Cattle, Horse, and Camel. The earliest period (c. 8000-5000 b.c.e.) the Bubaline, derives its name from large, naturalistic engravings of the now extinct buffalo Bubalus antiquus. Depictions also include other animals that inhabited the region at the time: elephants, giraffes, and rhinoceroses. Humans are depicted with throwing sticks and axes, reflecting their hunting lifestyle.
In the Cattle period (c. 5000-1500 b.c.e.), the Bubalus antiquus disappears. Domestic animals such as cattle become primary subjects, reflecting the change from hunting to herding. Other depictions include early examples of masked dancers and humans armed with bows.
From circa 1500 to 600 b.c.e., the Horse period, horses and chariots appear, reflecting innovations in travel and trade. In this period, humans are schematically presented with new weapons such as spears and shields.
The last phase of the rock art tradition, the Camel period (c. 600 b.c.e.), is marked by the introduction of the camel and carved inscriptions of the earliest Saharan writing. As the area became drier in the fifth to third millennia b.c.e., these cultures moved southward and eastward into the Nile River Valley.
Bibliography
Perani, Judith, and Fred Smith. The Visual Arts of Africa. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1998.