Friday, January 13, 2012

Archaeology of the Libyan Desert

As I already wrote about another archaeological discovery, the desert of southern Libya has not always been as dry and inhospitable as it is now. Archaeological evidence shows that some parts of the Sahara were inhabited as little as a thousand years ago.

Italian archaeologists working in southwest Libya have documented a number of important sites, including stone monuments (top) and rock carvings (above).

These can be added to the already very extensive inventory of rock art, both painted and carved, that has been found in the region.



2 comments:

Anonymous said...

This art is absolutely interesting. Has anyone documented the extensive lines that crisscross this whole region? These lines are absolutely straight and run for miles. Thanks for this post.

Anonymous said...

There is mounting evidence provided by zooarcheology and hidrology that there were large human settlements across the Sahara. The theory is that there were hydrological sytems formed by three main rivers that crossed from center of African to the Mediterranean costs and some of these were connected by lacoons and lakes.
The fact that there are crocodiles living at the north Mauritania at the present is a evidence of the large basin that once existed, probably until 10,000 b.C.
From my personal point of view if extensive archaeological reserch focussed on this are we would find remains of a large civilization that preceeded the Egipt of the pharaohs.

kind regards, RV