Photo Gallery

The "black archer". Ochre painting that leaves no doubt about the hunter's ethnicity. He wears a strange hairstyle and probably a loincloth as he draws his bow forward. From the left end of the bow to the end of the left hand: 0.20 m. Algeria - Tassili n'Ajjer - Jabbaren - 1993

15 - Oued Tagalalat (Aïr). - Despite the weakness of the engraving style, this is indeed a document from the Horse Period. The warriors, shaped like a diabolo, are equipped with spears and shields. On the right, note the exceptional beast. A hoofed animal resembling a lion (?). The head, achieved by peripheral punching, shows the two eyes in a "flat" position (diocular technique). Length of the lion: 0.30 m.

47 - Tanakom (Aïr). - Pastoral period. Various quadrupeds. The interest lies in the two figures in the center. The one on the left would fit well in a modern art museum and does not allow for any satisfactory explanation. The one on the right may be holding a bow.

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.

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.

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.

118 - Enneri Blaka. Site 10. - (original photo) 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.

170 - Oued Mathendous. In Habeter III. - Small archer of indeterminate age. He wears "shorts," which is not entirely rare. A piece of leather or fabric (?) hangs between his legs, and the left shoulder's design, dominated by a crook, is difficult to explain. Height: 0.40 m.

170 - Oued Mathendous. In Habeter III. - (original photo) Small archer of indeterminate age. He wears "shorts," which is not entirely rare. A piece of leather or fabric (?) hangs between his legs, and the left shoulder's design, dominated by a crook, is difficult to explain. Height: 0.40 m.

207 - Tadrart Acacous. Ouan Amil. – Another detail from photo 204: An archer walks behind another person going in the same direction. Both are slender. The archer wears a kind of transparent skirt (?) and measures 0.15 m in height.

212 - Tadrart Acacous. Ouan Amil. – Our bovids were also hunters. Here, an archer stands behind a giraffe, the bow drawn. Note the transparency of the “skirt.”

237 - Tadrart Acacous. Teshouinat. - "Mouflon hunt". A pack of dogs converges towards its prey. Five dogs are painted in white and four in red, like the mouflon. In the top left, an archer runs toward the beast. The scene suggests that the author was very familiar with this type of scene. The large dog seems to attest to the existence of two breeds used by the hunters. Width of the represented panel: 0.64 m. (Photos 232, 234, and 237 - come from the same shelter.)

300 - In Djaren (Tadrart). - Shelter. Javelin thrower (?): The javelin appears in one of the man's hands. The movement of quick walking is well rendered. Height from head to foot: 0.17 m.

309 - ln Djaren South (Tadrart). - A carved elephant charging a hunter wearing an "Ouan Amil" hat. The man holds a weapon. A second elephant appears in the background. The distance from the back leg of the elephant to the front foot of the man is 1.05 m.

325 - Aouanrhet (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Archer running. He is wearing a colored loincloth. His appearance is Negroid. The head resembles that of a praying mantis. The right hand lifts a bow and an arrow above the head. The hand of the extended arm forward is empty. The loincloth is white with a tinge of purple, and the rest of the body is painted with red ochre. From the rear foot to the top of the head: 0.17 m.

351 - Oued Djérat (Tassili-n'Ajjer, near Aha-Anafeg). - The famous engraved archer has a stylized figure. He wears a headgear and holds a bow as if he has just shot an arrow. He might have a lightly fringed cape on his back. The belt, formed by a double line, extends with a floating tail. It appears that he carries a phallic sheath inserted into the belt, leaving the testicles exposed, as some regional ethnographies still show. Note the double spiral in the left corner and modern graffiti.

410 - Jabbaren (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Two more archers. The first, on the left, has six arrows in his "quiver" and holds his bow in the air. The bow is always simple and shows no variations. However, there are hundreds of different arrowhead forms. Width of the represented panel: 0.43 m.

411 - Jabbaren (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Archer, like his companions, painted in red ochre. A remnant of white paint indicates the existence of a loincloth that has since disappeared. On the archer at the bottom left, the white loincloth is more visible. Height of the figure in the center: 0.16 m.

412 - Jabbaren (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Still archers, who seem to have held an important place in the artists' minds. An antelope is visible in the center. Height of the archer: 0.16 m.

417 - Jabbaren (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Hunting scene rendered in red ochre. A gazelle and an antelope are being pursued by hunters.

418 - Jabbaren (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Hunting scene in red ochre, featuring three hunters on the left, two of whom raise their bow in the left hand, while another has placed his bow in front of him. They are waiting, while on the right, a large antelope flees from them. From the snout to the rear arm of the last figure: 0.80 m.

419 - Jabbaren (Tassili-n'Ajjer) - The "Black Archer." Painting in ochre that leaves no doubt about the hunter's ethnic background. He wears a curious hairstyle and probably a loincloth, while drawing his bow forward. From the left end of the bow to the end of the left hand: 0.20 m.

461 - Ozeneare (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – Warrior or hunter galloping to the left. The hairstyle is painted white. Arrows can be seen, and he holds a bow in his hand. Width of the panel: 0.21 m.

514 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Hunting scene (?). Six Negroid archers are running to the left. A seventh is running in the opposite direction. One of them, at the top center, is armed only with an axe, while another, very faint, below him, shows that the bowstring was not attached at the ends of the bow but a little higher, to better withstand the tension. Height of the archer on the left: 0.18 m.

531 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – In front of a stylized mouflon, an archer seems to be prostrated. At the bottom left, two elephant heads. Far right, a person in a long tunic tied at the waist. From the front paw to the back paw: 0.30 m.

570 - Tin-Tazarift (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – Ochre fresco depicting preparations for a hunt or battle. In the middle left, an archer not only wears a quiver of arrows on his belt but also holds a handful of arrows in his left hand. The sense of movement in the scene is intense. The archers in the top right measure 0.11 m in height.

619 - Oum Itouami (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - It seems the artist wanted to depict a hunting scene. A mouflon (?) is being attacked by three dogs. It has two arrows or two spears stuck in its body, and a spearman, who also carries a sword at waist level, is about to throw his weapon. The spearman is 0.14 m in height. Painting in red ochre.