Photo Gallery

Algeria - Tassili n'Ajjer - The beautiful shelter of Tan-Zoumaïtak (28m2) In the shape of a cupola, worthy to inspire religious sentiments.

The legends are only available in German or Spanish
«La Cueva de las Manos» ist ein schwer zugängliches Abri oberhalb des Río Pinturas, zwischen Bajo Caracoles und Perito Moreno in der argentinischen Provinz Santa Cruz. Die Bedeutung der Hände ist nicht geklärt, ist jedoch sicher magischen Charakters. Die Malerei gehört zum Kreis der Toldense-Kultur, deren Alter bis auf etwa 8000 v. Chr. zurück geschätzt wird. Sie gehören heute zum Weltkulturerbe. - 1973

Dhar Tichitt is a Neolithic archaeological site in the south-western Saharan region of Mauritania. It is one of several settlement sites along the sandstone cliffs in the area. The cliffs were inhabited by farmers and pastoralists from about 4500 B.C. and lasted until about 2300 B.C. This area is one of the oldest known archaeological settlement sites in the western part of Africa. About 500 stone settlements were scattered throughout the region in the former Saharan savannah. In addition to raising livestock (e.g. cattle, sheep, goats), the inhabitants hunted, fished, gathered wild cereals and cultivated rush millet. - View of a wind-eroded rock from a grotto. - Mauritania - 1970

At the foot of these bizarre erosional forms in the Séfar area, you will come across shelters where you can admire countless rock paintings. - Algeria - 1966

The Targui Hosseinie stands at the entrance to a cave created by wind erosion near Séfar. - Algeria - 1966

Targui Hosseinie with his donkeys in front of a large rock gate near Tin Tazarift. - Algeria - 1966

The large abri with paintings at site 10 of Enneri Blaka in the Republic of Niger is another example of the localities that attracted Neolithic people. Very good details of the paintings decorating these abris can be found in images SAR-117, SAR-119 and SAR-121 of the chapter "Rock Art in the Sahara". - Enneri Blaka - Niger - 1968

We have already shown the exterior view of the rock niche from site 10 in Enneri Blaka in the previous picture. Here is the view from the inside. Note at the top left the edge of the large painting with the cattle facing the motionless and barren desert. The cave opens towards the southeast, and from there you can see the other bank of the Enneri. This remarkable site is one of a succession of eight sites, all discovered by the Blaka expedition led by Maximilien Bruggmann in 1968. - Enneri Blaka - Niger - 1968

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.

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.

205 - Tadrart Acacous. Ouan Amil. - Typical landscape of Acacous with two large, deep shelters. One must imagine the flowing water, grass, trees, people, and their cattle to bring this place to life. We will travel through this impressive landscape over the next few photos.

436 - Jabbaren (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – On the edge of a reg, a shelter whose background is formed by the edge of a soft rock attacked by water and wind erosion. It is the rock portions that form a ceiling at head height that have preserved the most rock paintings.

527 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – On the edge of the Ouad Séfar, the shelter "of the Amazons" (H. Lhote).

528 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – Here we see goats or sheep attached "to a rope". This gives them an astonishing sense of order. Below, there is a red structure extended downward by V-shaped lines. We also see archers sketched with painted lines, as well as figures in a red structure, bovids, and later archers treated in dark gray. Diameter of the circle: 0.25 m.

529 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – Two hands at the end of severed arms. The left hand is finely decorated; the other is bordered by a double line. At the bottom left: head of a mouflon. Length of the right hand and arm: 0.33 m.

542 - Tan-Zoumaïtak (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - The splendid shelter of Tan-Zoumaïtak, to which Henri Lhote attributes 28 m². The paintings captured in the previous photographs can be recognized here. This dome-shaped shelter was worthy of inspiring religious feelings.

Abri Ilem - A shelter with rock art - Tamgak - Aïr - Niger - 2001