Photo Gallery

Chapter 2: DJADO - Niger

The Sahara, especially the Central Sahara, contains the world's largest and most diverse deposit of rock art. It has been largely explored. Only a few larger regions have been omitted from research to date, primarily due to logistical difficulties. The Djado Plateau in the north-east of Niger is one of these archaeological ‘blank spots’. This is where the Enneri Blaka, a dry wadi, is located. Maximilien Bruggmann reports: 'During the T4 mission of 1966/67, we visited the three stations discovered by the Berliet mission in the Enneri Blaka to take films and photographs. About 1700 metres north of the ‘submarine’ we found a new station, which we called Site 4. It was a very large, hammered elephant. We could not continue our search in this area as we had too little petrol and too little time to get to the Tibesti Mountains in the north of Chad. An idea was born: We should return and search the Enneri Blaka thoroughly, where we would most likely discover more new sites. In 1968/69, during the Blaka mission, another 7 sites were found and documented (see plan). Our last mission to explore Enneri Blaka took place in 1975 - . Three new stations were found. Up to this point, a total of 14 sites had been documented.

As part of the archaeological exploration of the Sahara, trip 18 in 1975 - led to the Ténéré and the Enneri Blaka. The purpose was to search for rock paintings and engravings. The picture shows the arrival of the expedition with the 4 Landrovers at the ‘submarine’ in the Enneri Blaka.

75 - Guelta Domo. Djado Region. - Painted antelope, with a red chest and the rest of the body in white. The lower part of an individual appears at the top of the painting. Its contours were made in white. Rock paintings in the Sahara, except for schematic figures always in red, seem to occupy a more limited chronological position compared to engravings. From the hind paw to the horn: 0.315 m.

76 - Guelta Domo. Djado Region. - Engravings called camelines with Tifinagh, camels ridden or unmounted.

77 - Djado Region. - Two figures, probably Garamantes in leather clothing. The figure on the left holds a spear in the right hand and a shield (?) in the left hand. Height of the figures: 0.37 m.

78 - Djado Region. - Engraved elephant 3.50 m above the ground. Here, the classic style is evident, although there is asymmetry in the movement of the legs. From the tip of the front legs to the back leg: 2.22 m.

78 - Djado Region. - (original photo) Engraved elephant 3.50 m above the ground. Here, the classic style is evident, although there is asymmetry in the movement of the legs. From the tip of the front legs to the back leg: 2.22 m.

79 - Djado Region, near the Sara Pass. - Remarkable fresco, reflecting the varied colors of the rocks. We are here in the great pastoral or bovine era, which often blends animals and humans. The panel shown here measures 0.85 m.

80 - Drigana. Djado Region. - Rhinoceros overlapping an elephant. Old engraving. From the tail tip to the horn tip: 1.56 m.

80 - Drigana. Djado Region. - (original photo) Rhinoceros overlapping an elephant. Old engraving. From the tail tip to the horn tip: 1.56 m.

81 - Drigana. Djado Region. - On a rock bordering a reg, once a prime area for elephant movement, this magnificent Neolithic fresco of 4 naturalistic elephants. The rock measures 4.25 m in width. In the same position, facing the Ténéré plateau, and 300 m from the first ones, three other elephants in the same style. Width of the supporting rock: 4.10 m. (82)

82 - Drigana. Djado Region. - On a rock bordering a reg, once a prime area for elephant movement, this magnificent Neolithic fresco of 4 naturalistic elephants. The rock measures 4.25 m in width (81). In the same position, facing the Ténéré plateau, and 300 m from the first ones, three other elephants in the same style. Width of the supporting rock: 4.10 m.

83 - Enneri Domo, Arkana site. - Bitriangular characters. These representations differ from those referred to as "ant-head" (84). The costume is tight at the waist, and its decorations are no longer visible. The head is reduced to a circle with a dotted interior, and its ornaments are limited to a few lines. Photo 83 - : The distance between the hands is 1.22 meters. Photo 84: The character on the left measures 0.54 meters in height, from the head ornaments to the feet.

84 - Enneri Domo, Arkana site. - Bitriangular characters. These representations differ from those referred to as "ant-head" (84 - ). The costume is tight at the waist, and its decorations are no longer visible. The head is reduced to a circle with a dotted interior, and its ornaments are limited to a few lines. Photo 83: The distance between the hands is 1.22 meters. Photo 84 - : The character on the left measures 0.54 meters in height, from the head ornaments to the feet.

85 - Enneri Domo, Arkana site. - Chariot period. Ox-drawn cart. The wheels have six spokes and are engraved in a "flattened" style. The "floor" plays an important role, and the yokes are very wide apart. Note the primitive stylization of the animals and the character. The cart from one outer edge of the wheel to the other: 0.58 meters.

86 - Enneri Domo, Arkana site. - Chariot period. Ostrich, oxen, giraffe; tifinars, sheep or goats. On the cart, whose wheels with four spokes are depicted in a "flattened" manner, the central yoke ends in a small crossbar. The floor is reduced to a flat triangle. The rock has a height of 1.77 meters.

87 - View of Enneri Blaka. - As we reached the edge of the cliffs with a view of Enneri, we had the impression that a command post of a submarine was emerging from the sand. The name has remained... and the illusion is striking (see the photo by Maximilien Bruggmann illustrating the beginning of the Djado chapter). The site itself was discovered in 1956 by the Méharist officers Lamothe and Moreau. In 1959, the Berliet-Ténéré mission added sites 2 and 3. The Bruggmann mission completed the inventory in 1967 with the discovery of site 4. Then, at the end of 1968, during the research of the Blaka mission, also led by Maximilien Bruggmann, other very interesting sites were found, which were assigned the numbers 5 to 11. On the west face of the "submarine," there is a remarkable giraffe engraving from the old layer (Neolithic or Bubaline), captured in motion. Height of this giraffe: 0.70 meters. Site 1.

At the foot of the ‘Sous-Marin’ of the Berliet Mission, the ‘Mission Blaka’ set up its base camp under a rock shelter, protected by a dune. Between the end of November and mid-December 1968, the expedition discovered 7 new stations with rock art.

88 - Enneri Blaka. Site 1. - Oryx engraved in line. Bubal period. From the nostrils to the base of the tail: 0.23 m.

89 - Enneri Blaka. Site 1. - Elephant engraved in line. Bubal period. From the trunk to the base of the tail: 0.53 m.

90 - Enneri Blaka. Site 1. - Two rhinoceroses engraved in line with a V-shaped cross-section. From the horn on the right to the tail on the left: 0.84 m.

91 - Enneri Blaka. Site 1. - Deer. Ancient painting in the rock shelter "Sous-marin". In addition to the beauty of the work, it is worth noting the presence of this clearly southern herbivore in a place where it no longer occurs. Length: 0.25 m.

92 - Enneri Blaka. Site 1. - Mural depicting a procession of figures painted in red ochre, ranging from 0.10 to 0.20 m in height. The heads, resembling an inverted U or a canine snout, recall those already seen in the Air. One cannot help but think of a ritual dance.

93 - Enneri Blaka. Site 1. - Very beautiful cow from the bovine period. Bicolored, like the Deer-Robert from photo 91. The udders are clearly outlined. Although this piece is on the right, it is on the same line as the previous frieze, making it difficult to associate them in the same style. From the snout to the base of the tail: 0.295 m.

94 - Enneri Blaka. Site 1. - Bubal period. Leaping Dorcas gazelles. Beautiful, deeply engraved drawing on a horizontal slab, to the north of the "Sous-marin". The animal in the center of the photo measures 0.26 m in length.

95 - Enneri Blaka. Site 1. - Rhinoceros from the so-called Bubal period. The document is overlaid with a more recent puncture. From the snout to the end of the tail: 0.36 m.

96 - Enneri Blaka. Site 2. - Drawing of a very decadent ox, based on a photograph by Maximilien Bruggmann. From the tail to the horn tip: 0.53 m.

97 - Enneri Blaka. Site 2. - (original photo) Rhinoceros from the ancient period, engraved with shallow lines. From the tip of the horn to the back of the hind foot: 0.40 m.

98 - Enneri Blaka. Site 2. - Naturalistic elephant, engraved with shallow lines, resembling the style of the previous rhinoceros in the photograph (same artist?). From the end of the trunk to the base of the tail: 0.44 m.

99 - Enneri Blaka. Site 3. - Ox with a "solar disc" between the horns. Figures, giraffes, graffiti... The disc is actually an oval shape, which may refer to a secular ornament. The stippled engravings are late and difficult to classify.

100 - Enneri Blaka. Site 3. - Giraffe from the older layer, engraved with fine lines. From the top of the head to the bottom of the legs: 0.425 m. The firm direction of the lines does not correct the imperfections of the supporting rock.

101 - Enneri Blaka. Site 3. - Elephant engraved on a defective rock. Period of the so-called "Bubale" era. From the base of the hind leg to the end of the tusks: 0.60 m.

102 - Enneri Blaka. Site 3. - Two schematic giraffes with scalariform legs. Compared to the giraffe in photo 101, these engravings appear very decadent. From the tip of the snout (right giraffe) to the base of the tail: 0.315 m.

103 - Enneri Blaka. Site 3. - Period of the "Bubale". A very beautiful giraffe created with lines and internal polishing of the legs. The legs are precise, the curve, and the head well observed. Behind the animal, another smaller giraffe could indicate that the larger one is a nursing female. However, the styles appear different. The engraving of the large giraffe overlaps a small stippled bovine, therefore earlier. From the giraffe’s hooves to the top of its horns: 2.45 m.

104 - Enneri Blaka. Site 4. - Giraffes in a rigid, decadent style. The largest measures 1.05 m in height.

105 - Enneri Blaka. Site 4. - Large naturalistic elephant. Period of the "Bubale". The over-engraving of the three giraffes is much later. Their style is also schematic. From the tips of the elephant's tusks to the end of the tail: 1.80 m long.

Maximilien Bruggmann and Sylvio Acatos taking the inventory of the large elephant at Site 4 of Enneri Blaka.

106 - Enneri Blaka. Site 5. - Typical view of a Neolithic habitat overlooking the valley and its river. This is a rock shelter with dormant grinding stones and traces of sharpening. Ceramic shards are scattered around the shelter. The shelter is 19 m wide, 7 m deep, and the ceiling is 3 m high.

107 - Enneri Blaka. Site 5. - Period of the "Bubale". Small ungulate engraved with deep lines. Note the ends of the legs. This disproportion is found in many regions, especially the Rio de Oro. From the tips of the horns to the hooves: 0.225 m.

108 - Enneri Blaka. Site 5. - Period of the "Bubale". Two very beautiful giraffes, with well-engraved lines emphasizing their elegance. This depiction and the previous one (photo 107) are flat on the floor of the Neolithic shelter. At the top left, sandal prints can be seen, like those found by the thousands across the Sahara, especially in Tiratimine (Hoggar). These are a love wish specific to the Tuareg people. From the giraffe's hooves to the base of its horns: 0.95 m.

109 - Enneri Blaka. Site 5. - Still on the same stone slab of the rock shelter, from the "bubale" period, a schematic rhinoceros that fits well with the local style and the difficulty of properly capturing the anatomy of this animal. The legs also end in a "tapered" shape, which had already struck G.B.M. Flamand in 1921. From the tip of the horn to the back leg: 0.54 m.

110 - Enneri Blaka. Site 7. - Recent pastoral period. On a nearly vertical slab, an extraordinary grouping of cattle led Maximilien Bruggmann, the discoverer of the site, and his team to name it the "Ark of Noah." A mix of bovids, giraffes, hunters, and ungulates can be identified. The estimated number of subjects is 150! Width of the depicted panel: 1.75 m.

111 - Enneri Blaka. Site 7, known as the "Ark of Noah." - Detail of the fresco above: male bovid obtained by pecking, like most of the representations. The tail ends in a "broom." It is preceded by an animal with lyre-shaped horns (bovid?). From the tail to the tips of the horns: 0.91 m in length.

112 - Enneri Blaka. Site 7. - Another detail from the same site where 30 hunters have been identified. The "standing shooter" position of the archers is notable. From the foot of the lower archer to the tip of the upper archer's bow: 0.225 m.

113 - Enneri Blaka. Site 8. - "Bubale" period. The engraving is difficult to interpret due to the arrangement of the hind legs. From the snout to the rump: 0.43 m.

114 - Enneri Blaka. Site 9. - Red painting. Horse under the shelter known as the "Red Horse Shelter." From the rear hoof to the nostrils: 0.40 m.

115 - Enneri Blaka. Site 10. - Paintings from the "round heads" period (?). At the top, two cows with calves, in white. Below, three unidentifiable quadrupeds, one in red ochre, the other in white. The depicted panel is 0.75 m wide.

116 - Enneri Blaka. Site 10. - Engravings by pecking. End of the pastoral period. Giraffes, bovids, ungulates. The depicted panel is 2.20 m wide.

117 - Enneri Blaka. Site 10. - The shelter, seen from the inside, measures 9.60 meters in width. At the far end, behind the mountains, is the "Submarine of Blaka." On the ceiling, a red/pink elephant can be observed; additionally, one can spot bovids, a mounted animal... Sites 7 and 9 are located on the opposite cliffs.

118 - Enneri Blaka. Site 10. - Near the site, a small hunter created by pecking. Late period. The bow is held in the right hand. On the left elbow, there may be a small shield. See the equid-era figure from Aïr, photograph 23, which carries the same object.

119 - Enneri Blaka. Site 10. - Pastoral period (?). This fresco decorates the ceiling of the rock shelter at Site 10. It primarily depicts bovids and human figures. Two of them are mounted on an ox. The width of the depicted ceiling section is 2.05 meters.

120 - Enneri Blaka. Site 10. - Site 10, as seen from Site 7! One can better understand Neolithic socio-geography; the sites are located in cliffs between which vast plains and rivers extend.

121 - Enneri Blaka. Site 10. - Another view of the ceiling painted in the pastoral period. The presence of a large herd of bovids does not exclude wild animals such as the elephant, which appears here in a red color. The bovids are white. An ox is ridden by a figure, which seems (?) to guide it with a rope. The elephant measures 0.41 meters in length.

122 - Enneri Blaka. Site 10. - A mounted, white ox. The painting style is very homogeneous. Notice the feather on the rider's headdress. From the tip of the tail to the snout: 0.225 meters.

123 - Enneri Blaka. Site 11 (2.7 km south of the "Submarine"). - Fresco of giraffes engraved from the "bubale" period. The coats are depicted using different pecking techniques.

124 - Enneri Blaka. Site 11. - Triangular figure from the Garamantic period. Engraving by pecking. The subject has a graceful posture and measures 0.64 meters from the feet to the tip of the feather on its head.

124 - Enneri Blaka. Site 11. - (original photo) Triangular figure from the Garamantic period. Engraving by pecking. The subject has a graceful posture and measures 0.64 meters from the feet to the tip of the feather on its head.

125 - Enneri Blaka. Site 11. - Garamantic period. Two triangular figures with U-shaped heads. Fine engraving. The right arm of the right figure crosses the left arm of the left figure, which measures 0.225 meters in height.

126 - Enneri Blaka. Site 11. - On top of an engraved giraffe are two (?) unidentified quadrupeds. A man stands at the back and touches the tail of one of them.

127 - Rocky landscape at the confluence of Enneri Blaka (on the left) and Domo (on the right). This location is notably rich in rock engravings from all periods since the Neolithic.

128 - Confluent Blaka-Domo. Site 12. - Chariot Era. Chariot drawn by oxen, depicted in the naive technique of the "flat-format." Note the axle, the four-spoked wheels, and the very cramped platform. Width of the panel: 0.69 m.

129 - Confluent Blaka-Domo. Site 12. - Chariot Era. The driver wears the tunic tightly belted at the waist, characteristic of the Garamantes. Both wheels have 6 spokes, and the axle is poorly positioned. No platform is visible. From the outside of the right wheel to the outside of the left wheel: 0.38 m.

130 - Confluent Blaka-Domo. Site 12. - Garamantic Era (?). Object that is part of a series united by the same appearance. Loincloth (?)

131 - Confluent Blaka-Domo. Site 12. - Bubaline Era. Rhino engraved with fine and regular lines. It is preceded by a smaller rhino. At the top right, two hanging parts of “loincloths” (?). Large rhino, from the tip of the tail to the tip of the horn: 0.51 m.

132 - Confluent Blaka-Domo. Site 12. - Bubaline Era. Elephant engraved with fine lines. Between its legs is the rhino from photo 131. The fact that the rocks here are flat and provide horizontal surfaces attracted artists who did not hesitate to superimpose their works on those of their predecessors. At the height of the elephant's rump, a vulvar symbol (?). The panel portion measures 2.65 m in length.

133 - Confluent Blaka-Domo. Site 12. - Bubaline Era. Extraordinary bovine with oversized horns. Several central parts of loincloths. Vulvar sign, hooves... The surface depicted measures 1.17 m in height.

134 - Confluent Blaka-Domo. Site 12. - Bubaline Era. Beautiful cow engraved. The color differences in the coat are represented by lines separating the areas.

135 - Confluent Blaka-Domo. Site 12. - Bubaline Era. Engraved elephant. One of the two lines delimiting the back is an abandoned sketch; dotted vulvar sign. Width of the depicted panel: 0.66 m.

136 - Confluent Blaka-Domo. Site 12. - "Diabolo" man from the Garamantic period. He holds a spear in his right hand and a shield in his left hand. The lower part of his tunic is fringed, and his head is adorned with a well-identified feather.

137 - Confluent Blaka-Domo. Site 12. - Confronted rhinoceroses from the Bubaline period. From the tip of one tail to the other: 0.665 m.