Photo Gallery

Algeria - Tassili n'Ajjer - Shelter Tan-Zoumaïtak - Period «Roundheads»

Algeria - Tassili n'Ajjer - Site Sefar - Hunting Scene

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

Algeria - Tassili n'Ajjer - Site Tin-Tazarift - Several people painted with brown ocher

Algeria - Tassili n'Ajjer - Site Jabbaren - Hunting Scene

Algeria - Tassili n'Ajjer - Site Jabbaren - Pastoral scene painted in red ocher

Niger - Tadrart - Site In-Djaren - Giraffe painted in a shelter, width 43 cm

Algeria - Séfar (Tassili-n’Ajjer) – Typical pastoral scene, 2.80 m above ground level.

Algeria - Tin-Tazarift (Tassili-n’Ajjer) – Odd "ship shape". However, the floatability is not proved.

The prehistoric rock shelter of Afis - 2500 years ago, hunters, gatherers and cattle breeders lived in a once heavenly green savannah and painted the already magical and fascinating image of women on the rock wall. - Niger / Aïr / 2001

Holy Ghost - The centrepiece of an over 60-meter long gallery of cave paintings, «The Ghost» is an enigma. Who is the central character surrounded by an army of shadows? It probably goes back to the time of the first Indian mammoth hunters. (Horseshoe Canyon, Canyonlands National Park, Utah, USA) - 1976

A Barbary sheep and two elegant women dominate a world full of mysterious characters and animals (Tan-Zoumaïtak site, Tassili n'Ajjer, Algeria).

The “Great God” is performing a mysterious ritual. His body is long, his genitals oversized, his head deformed, the bumps on his arms inexplicable. This rock painting is 1.55 m tall and can be found at the site of Sefar (Tassili n'Ajjer, Algeria).

The walls of “Cueva de las manos” (Cave of the Hands) in the province of Santa Cruz (Patagonia, Argentina) are covered with negative impressions of hands dated over 10,000 years back, though their significance has never been quite clarified. Maybe this cave of difficult access, located near Rio Pinturas, was a place of rites of passage and the hand impressions belonged to those who freely and solemnly swore to abide by the rules of the group.

Petroglyphs in red ochre nicknamed "Supernova"-a 10-pointed star, a quarter moon, a magical hand. This composition may depict the explosion of a giant star in the year 1054, an event that has also been chronicled in the history books of that time in Europe, China and Japan. Height: about 24 inches, Chaco Culture National Historical Park (New Mexico), Anasazi Culture.

Petroglyphs with a stylized deer, positive impression of a magic hand and a human figure within a circle, which undoubtedly symbolizes the sun and the entire universe. A language of shapes extends across the rocks, mingling daily routine and religious life. Diameter of the circle: about 28 in. Betatakin, Navajo National Monument (Arizona).

Roles of nomadic women and men (rock painting / end of the prehistoric period / Ouan Bender / Tassili n-Ajjer / Algeria)

Dance of dressed women, rock painting (Tadrart / Algeria)

Superimposed paintings of women of the period known as "round heads", symbolically stretching their arms towards an animal and a child (Tan-Zoumaïtak / Tassili-n-Ajjer / Algeria)

Red and white petroglyphs in Horseshoe Canyon, Barrier Creek, Canyonlands National Park (Utah). They are among the most beautiful petroglyphs of the Fremont Culture: impressive, priestly figures of men whose bodies are decorated with geometric designs (depicting clothing or body painting). There are innumerable theories as to what these figures represent: warriors, priests, dancers. Are they associated with hunting? There are deer on the rock to the right. The central figure is about 68 inches high.

The Ghost stands surrounded by smaller figures. Is he perhaps wearing a mask? The paintings have more or less natural human scale: The Ghost is 85 inches tall. Horseshoe Canyon, Barrier Creek, Canyonlands National Park (Utah).

The famous frieze of human figures that stretches for yards along the stone cliffs of Horseshoe Canyon. The entire length of the upper frieze is 140 feet. The general impression is of a procession on its way to a holy site. The paintings are a considerable distance from any inhabited place, which adds to their magical character. Canyonlands National Park (Utah), Fremont Culture.

The famous frieze of human figures that stretches for yards along the stone cliffs of Horseshoe Canyon. The entire length of the upper frieze is 140 feet. The general impression is of a procession on its way to a holy site. The paintings are a considerable distance from any inhabited place, which adds to their magical character. Canyonlands National Park (Utah), Fremont Culture.

The famous frieze of human figures that stretches for yards along the stone cliffs of Horseshoe Canyon. The entire length of the upper frieze is 140 feet. The general impression is of a procession on its way to a holy site. The paintings are a considerable distance from any inhabited place, which adds to their magical character. Canyonlands National Park (Utah), Fremont Culture.

Petroglyphs that are clearly magical in character. The colored paints were made of mineral and plant materials and were probably applied to the rock with fingers. The figures pictured here were painted in red and ochre, the "shields" in black and white. Courthouse Wash, Arches National Park (Utah).

Detail of an enormous human figure. Large eyes scrutinize us; two animals (deer?) cover the upper body; Horseshoe Canyon, Canyonlands National Park (Utah).

Ten faces from a frieze called The Thirteen Faces. Polychrome painting of heads, which have masks and feather headdresses. Horse Canyon, Canyonlands ational Park (Utah).

Painted, mysterious shapes. The diameter of the concentric circle on the left is 74.4 inches. Near Salt Creek Canyon, Canyonlands National Park (Utah).

Paintings of "warriors" with richly embellished shields behind which only the heads and feet are visible; above them a frieze of dots. Figure to the left is 17.6 inches high. Peek-Aboo Spring, Salt Creek Canyon.

Positive and negative handprints on friezes or in masterly compositions. The hand is a universally familiar symbol, found in all cultures at all times. - Red and ochre-colored hands under Kachina Bridge, Natural Bridges National Monument (Utah).

Positive and negative handprints on friezes or in masterly compositions. The hand is a universally familiar symbol, found in all cultures at all times. - Positive and negative impressions of hands (as well as people) painted in white, Canyon de Chelly National Monument (Arizona).

Positive and negative handprints on friezes or in masterly compositions. The hand is a universally familiar symbol, found in all cultures at all times. - near Peek-Aboo Spring, Salt Creek Canyonlands, Canyonlands National Park (Utah).

The stepped pyramid, or "stairway to heaven," symbolizes rain clouds as well as the paths that lead into the next world (as in ancient Egypt). The design is commonly found on pottery and in pictographs. - Painting of a frieze of birds sitting on the top of three pyramids, red on ochre. Height: 7.2 inches. Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument (New Mexico).

The dancers in ceremonial dress appear to be wearing long tunics, the band of cloth at the waist could be a knot. Note the structure of the caps and the original ornament of the heads. The arms wear many rings. (Tan-Zoumaïtak -Tassili n'Ajjer - Algeria)

The legends are only available in German, French or Spanish
L'un des abris sous roche de Pizacoma (département de Puno) est orné de peintures qui représentent une scène de chasse à la vigogne et qui auraient une antiquité d'environ 10’000 ans.

The legends are only available in German, French or Spanish
Entre les scènes peintes des abris sous roche de Pizacoma figurent des signes géométriques dont la signification exacte nous échappe.

The legends are only available in German, French or Spanish
Peintures rupestres de Mazo Cruz, à 4500 mètres (département de Puno, Pérou). Quel Champollion déchiffrera les fresques pariétales des cavernes sacrées de Kelkatani, la «pierre écrite» entre 7000 et 10.000 ans? Ces danses cynégétiques de chorégraphes archaïques, auréolés de plumes, furent peintes à l'ocre rouge sur un kran granitique large de 26 mètres et haut de 6, par le chaman d'une mystérieuse civilisation d'altitude.

The legends are only available in German or Spanish
Felsmalereien von Taira am Río Loa in der Atacamawüste, Nordchile. Diese gepunzten und bemalten Darstellungen von Lamas werden jungsteinzeitlichen Atacameños zugeschrieben. - 1976

The legends are only available in German or Spanish
Felsmalereien von Toquepala, Departement Moquegua, Peru. In den Höhlen von Toquepala fand man Spuren menschlicher Besiedlung, die mit der Radiokarbonmethode auf ein Alter von rund 10‘000 Jahren datiert wurden. Dies beweist allerdings nicht, dass die sich zum Teil überschneidenden Malereien ebenso alt sind. Obwohl sie stilistisch durchaus einer altsteinzeitlichen Jägerbevölkerung zugeschrieben werden dürfen, könnten sie auch von späteren Menschen stammen, standen doch verschiedene Stämme Patagoniens und Südchiles bis in die neueste Zeit auf einer vergleichbaren Kulturstufe. - 1976

Rock paintings of Mazo Cruz, 4500 m above sea level (Puno department, Peru). Which Champollion will ever be able to interpret the 7000 to 10 000 year old wall frescoes of the "described stone" in the holy caves of Kelkatani? The dances of the hunters decorated with a wreath of feathers were painted with red ochre paint on a granite surface of 26 by 6 metres and bear witness to a mysterious highland civilisation. - 1976

Representations of a younger, more developed culture depict meanders, either painted or carved, forming intricate overall patterns. In certain cases, they are even extremely complex labyrinths. They too are probably an expression of religious ideas, but the exact meaning of all these symbols cannot be determined. - This rock painting is located near San Martín de los Andes. - 1975

The magnificent shelter of Tan-Zoumaïtak, 28 m² in size. You can see the paintings there from the photos below. This dome-shaped shelter was worthy of arousing religious feelings. Algeria - Tassili n'Ajjer - 1993

This dromedary with herringbone tail is harnessed in a logical way, which is not the case with the "frame", in which a person sits without legs, but who has a leather cushion in front of him. The "frame" is 0.16 m high and 0.23 m wide. Algeria - Tassili n'Ajjer - Ouan Bender - 1993

Negride person holding a bow in one hand and an arrow with its triangular tip visible in the other. Height 1.60 m. Algeria - Tassili n'Ajjer - Tin-Aboteka - 1993

An indeterminate animal, perhaps a dog. The tail is highly imaginative. The dentition of the entire outline corresponds to the hair of the presumably younger animal, whose age is indicated by the tifinarian characters. Rock painting with red ochre. Algeria - Tassili n'Ajjer - Tin-Aboteka - 1993

Tin Tazarift is located about two hours' walk northwest of Séfar in a labyrinth of sandstone streets and towers. The main shelter houses a group of large black round-headed figures with horned heads, as well as several other figures in very good condition. Algeria - Tassili n'Ajjer - 1993

Tin Tazarift is located about two hours' walk northwest of Séfar in a labyrinth of sandstone streets and towers. The main shelter houses a group of large black round-headed figures with horned heads, as well as several other figures in very good condition. Algeria - Tassili n'Ajjer - 1993

The Séfar region is known for its rich rock art. Bizarre rock formations and shelters abound. Algeria - Tassili n'Ajjer - 1993

The large shelter with the "Martian" of Séfar. Algeria - Tassili n'Ajjer - 1993

Exceptional fresco painted in several periods. Below, a parade of white mouflons mixed with dark ochre painted figures. Below left, a familiar scene with white painted figures. Above, another scene, this time involving black pastors fighting with their bows. On the left, behind a man with a clearly visible loincloth, one thinks one can sense a dead man. Algeria - Tassili n'Ajjer - Séfar - 1993

At the edge of the Wadi Séfar, the shelter "aux amazones" (H. Lhote). The following pictures are from this shelter. Algeria - Tassili n'Ajjer - Séfar - 1993

Here you see goats or sheep tied "on the rope". This gives them an amazing impression of order. Below this is a red structure that is extended downwards by V-shaped strokes. There are also archers sketched with painted strokes, then figures in a red structure, cattle and later archers treated with dark grey paint. Diameter of the circle: 0.25 m. Algeria - Tassili n'Ajjer - Séfar - 1993

Two hands at the end of severed arms. The left one is finely decorated; the other is delineated by a double line. Lower left: Head of a mouflon. Length of the right hand and arm: 0.33 m. Algeria - Tassili n'Ajjer - Séfar - 1993

An archer appears to be kneeling before a stylised mouflon. Below left are two elephant heads. Below right, a person in a long tunic that is tight at the waist. From the front paw to the back paw: 0.30 m. Algeria - Tassili n'Ajjer - Séfar - 1993

A European figure with the name "De Gaulle". Height: 0.20 m. Algeria - Tassili n'Ajjer - Séfar - 1993

Overview of the shelter where the following picture was taken. Algeria - Tassili n'Ajjer - Tin-Kani - 1993

The shelter of Alan-Edoument with its magnificent paintings. Algeria - Tassili n'Ajjer - 1993

The shelter of the "Abyssinian" in Jabbaren. On the following picture a detail of it. Algeria - Tassili n'Ajjer - 1993

Hands in negative form. They are moving because they represent the sign of a person who placed them on the rock with a wish. Was it fulfilled? Algeria - Tassili n'Ajjer - Jabbaren - 1993

Very nice document that shows well the use of the walls of a rock shelter. Its floor forms a continuation of the floor of the neighbouring abris. The large herd of cattle is typical of the beautiful polychrome paintings from the pastoral period and shows the homogeneity of a type of cattle with many different types of coat. Width of the depicted painting: 1.20 m. Algeria - Tassili n'Ajjer - Jabbaren - 1993

Running archer. He is dressed in a coloured loincloth. His appearance is negroid. The head resembles that of a praying mantis. The right hand raises a bow and an arrow above the head. The hand of the arm stretched forward is empty. The loincloth is white with mauve tinting, the rest of the body is painted with red ochre. From the back foot to the top of the head: 0.17 m. Algeria - Tassili n'Ajjer - In-Aouanrhet - 1993

Shelter with rock paintings near the well of Afis - Niger - Aïr - 2001

Rock paintings in a shelter near the well of Afis - Niger - Aïr - 2001

Overview of the shelter with rock paintings near the well of Afis - Niger - Aïr - 2001

Overview of the shelter with rock paintings near the well of Afis - Niger - Aïr - 2001

(5) - Fadnoun (Tassili-n'Ajjer) – A very naturalistic elephant walking. It gives the certainty of a direct observation by the artist. Length of the tail to the tip of the trunk: 0 - .34 m.

1 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer) – Period of the "round heads". "The great god" is part of a fresco that quickly became famous. Figures and animals appear to move within a magical scene. This is confirmed by the location where they are found. From elbow to elbow: 0.90 m.

3 - Tin-Tazarift (Tassili-n'Ajjer) – Slender archer from the bovine period. As is often the case, the arrows are carried in a "bundle," and one arrow has just been released by the archer.

3 - Tin-Tazarift (Tassili-n'Ajjer) – (original photo) Slender archer from the bovine period. As is often the case, the arrows are carried in a "bundle," and one arrow has just been released by the archer.

4 - Tan-Zoumaïtak (Tassili-n'Ajjer) – Period of the "round heads". The magnificent ram with cuffs and the two elegant, richly adorned women stand out against the background of mysterious animals painted in white. In the middle, to the left, an animal is being ridden by a figure. The monstrous beast at the bottom left measures 0.52 m.

6 - Jabbaren (Tassili-n'Ajjer) – Life-size hands in negative, obtained by projecting white pigment onto hands pressed against the rock. This symbol is universal and remains emotionally powerful.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

204 - Tadrart Acacous. Ouan Amil. - We enter a different world: that of the bovids, dominated by livestock farming. Rock art leads us to the idea that we are looking at a true visual imagery of the period. Many beautiful ochre paintings, sometimes highlighted with white, are found in shelters, as two fine examples at the edge of the Oued Amil on the next page’s photo. The naturalness of the characters and the accuracy of their postures stand out. The life of this time is represented realistically. The panel measures 1.43 m in height.

206 - Ouan Amil (detail from photograph 204). - The central figure, slightly shifted upwards, measures 0.18 m in height and gives the scale. Not all details are identifiable, but they all demonstrate how much the artists emphasized realism. The figure mentioned above has a hairstyle identical to that of the others. It seems to be wearing a loincloth, while other figures are dressed in tunics finished with fringes. We are facing a true "reportage."

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.

208 - Tadrart Acacous. Ouan Amil. – A figure, whose importance is emphasized by their attire, is being assisted by two servants. Note the hairstyles, which, more than the Phrygian cap, evoke those of the women of Martinique. The fabrics feature interesting patterns.

209 - Tadrart Acacous. Ouan Amil. – Not only is the life of the bovids simple, but the artists who depict it also capture its intimacy. A figure, at the top left, is again assisted in their grooming by several others. To the right, a group is sitting and performing unclear actions. In the center at the bottom, although classically coiffed, a figure appears to be naked ... A scalariform structure is also visible on the left. Panel height: 0.46 m.

210 - Tadrart Acacous. Ouan Amil. – The two people shown here have a clear Europoid profile. They are exchanging undefined objects. The person on the left holds a sort of boomerang (?). Each holds a hook (?) in their hand. They appear to have no headgear. The figure on the right wears dark clothing, while the one opposite is entirely transparent and ends with a patterned band. Width of the displayed panel: 0.44 m.

211 - Tadrart Acacous. Ouan Amil. – The woman in the center is handing over a baby. This is remarkable because such acts are rare. At the top center, a figure with a tail – unless it's part of their loincloth hanging out – is gesticulating in an unnatural way.

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.”

213 - Tadrart Acacous. Ouan Amil. – A deep familiarity of our bovids with their cattle leads to highly precise painted representations, such as this moving cow with a bicolored coat. Horns on the back leg: 0.33 m.

214 - Tadrart Acacous. Ouan Amil. – In the same style as the previous cow, a standing cow in front of another lying one. Above, a third with a “pack” on its back. The coat’s colors are rendered in red and white areas. From the muzzle of the lying cow to the muzzle of the standing cow: 0.47 m.

215 - Tadrart Acacous. Ouan Amil. – Two figures. One is white, on the right, with narrow thighs; the other is black, with wide thighs and a typically negroid morphology. They are depicted in the same posture. The "black" man holds a stick or a spear in his left hand. The "white" man holds a bow, also in his left hand. Height of the white man: 0.23 m.

216 - Tadrart Acacous. Ou an Amil. – Elongated figure, an archer of the bovidian type, holding the bow in the left hand. No arrow is visible. The hairstyle is familiar to us. A skirt, made of a net or mesh structure, seems to be worn over a kind of underwear. The bow measures 0.14 m from end to end.

217 - Tadrart Acacous. Oued Kessan. – Paintings of "diabolo" figures, whose shape is likely due to a belt pulling the tunic against the waist. The head is schematized by a line, generally surrounded by a pale ochre stain that is not always preserved. We are in the horse era here. The width of the tunic varies and either reaches the ankles or stops above the knees. The scenes depicted are much less lively than those from the bovidian era. Width of the panel: 0.55 m.

218 - Tadrart Acacous. Oued Kessan. – Another scene in the same style as the previous one. On the right side, women with children are depicted. Width of the panel: 0.84 m.

220 - Tadrart Acacous. Tin-Achigh. – Equid era. Interesting painting showing that, like in Ouan Amil (photo 215), the figure of the white character wears a kind of black stole with white patterns on the right shoulder. He appears to have a hairstyle topped with a feather. He is long and narrow in the thighs. The figure with a short tunic behind him holds a spear in one hand and a tool (?) in the other, in contact with a curious segment of a circle. Bottom right, a small figure painted in red ochre. Height of the white figure: 0.21 m.

221 - Tadrart Acacous. Tin-Achigh. – Pastoral scene. A herd of bovids is followed by a shepherd in the style of Ouan Amil, holding a long staff in one hand, while the other rests on the waist. A difference in style can be noted between the animals depicted, indicating they are not from the same era. Width of the panel: 0.65 m.

225 - Tadrart Acacous. Tin-Achigh. – Seven red ochre painted figures sitting, six in a semicircle, one inside. The hairstyle is marked by a white spot. The figure at the top faces right, surrounded by unidentifiable figures. Below him, three seated people also face right, the last three face them. Width of the depicted panel: 0.57 m.

226 - Tadrart Acacous. Tin-Achigh. – Two seated people, wearing long tunics and bare feet, talking to each other. The figure on the left is 0.16 m tall.

227 - Tadrart Acacous. Tin-Achigh. – Three figures in tight white tunics, emphasizing the waist. The middle figure has black arms, but the rest of the body is white. He holds a stick in his left hand. The middle figure is 0.20 m tall. Note the white stick on the left.

228 - Tadrart Acacous. Teshouinat-Tagzelt. – A curious sight of two figures whose white tunics flare out at the bottom, possibly due to a rotating movement (?). A strange representation appears in the center, above the larger subject, who has suspended a round object from his left arm, which could be a shield. Noticeable ankle rings are visible here. The width from the right to the left tunic is 1.10 m.

230 - Tadrart Acacous. Teshouinat-Tagzelt. – Two-wheeled chariot with six spokes each, galloping. The same perspective error as in the previous picture: the chariot seems to fly above the horses. It appears that two people are seated on the platform. The red ochre painting is clumsy. Width of the depicted panel: 0.44 m.

231 - Tadrart Acacous. Teshouinat-Tagzelt. – Giraffe painted in white and overloaded with spots to represent the animal’s coat. Height of the animal: 0.36 m.

232 - Tadrart Acacous. Teshouinat-Tagzelt. - Figure with a "stick head", topped with two feathers. A double necklace around the neck and a double bracelet on the left arm. A piece of fabric or leather is also visible on the left side. Around the waist, two unexplained handles. Height of the represented surface: 0.25 m.

234 - Tadrart Acacous. Teshouinat-Tagzelt. - Giraffe facing two barking dogs, which could be Sloughis. Width of the represented panel: 0.43 m. The painting technique is the same as the one used for the giraffe in photo 231.

235 - Tadrart Acacous. Teshouinat. - Complex series of figures, of which it is unclear whether they are dressed or not. Eight are painted in white, one in red. The figure at the bottom seems to wear a transparent cloak. The heads are topped with one or more feathers. A small bovine carries a symbol (?) above its head. Height of the represented panel: 0.72 m.

236 - Tadrart Acacous. Teshouinat. - "The man in the poncho" refers to the series of hairstyles from Ouan Amil. The poncho, if it is a poncho, is decorated with V-shaped patterns. The head has distinctly Europoid features. The hairstyle rounds off the shape of the object. Height of the figure, from the bottom of the front foot to the top of the hairstyle: 0.25 m.

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.)

238 - Tadrart Acacous. Teshouinat. - Age of chariots. A vehicle drawn by four horses in "flying gallop". This time, one can clearly observe a "carrycot ", giving the driver an acceptable place. The four-spoked wheel raises questions, as it is the only one that could support the creation of wheels made from wood and leather. Width of the represented panel: 0.41 m.

239 - Tadrart Acacous. Tin-Anneouin. – Composite fresco featuring "diabolo" figures, palm trees, bovids, "flying gallop" chariots, etc. Several layers are superimposed here. Painted Tifinagh characters. Only red ochre was used.

240 - Tadrart Acacous. Tin-Anneouin. – A palm tree and an animal seemingly eating its leaves. It is the camels that allow the dating of the painting.

241 - Tadrart Acacous. Tin-Anneouin. – A man armed with a spear, attacking another figure wearing a long tunic tightly bound at the waist. Tifinagh characters.

242 - Tadrart Acacous. Tin-Anneouin. – Galloping chariot with two wheels, each with six spokes. A well-visible rectangular platform. The man holds either a javelin or a stick to urge the team (?) of three horses. In front on the right, a man in a long tunic holds a lance and a round shield. This figure is 0.15 m tall, and the chariot is 0.30 m.

243 - Tadrart Acacous. Tin-Anneouin. – Lying cows painted with red ochre. Bovidian period.

278 - Col d'Amoggiar (Mauritania). - Ochre painting, very clumsily depicting an animal with horns and a mane. From snout to hindquarters: 0.16 m in length.

279 - Col d'Amoggiar (Mauritania). - Ochre painting of a "solar" symbol with four small inner circles. The fifteen rays are not joined with the circle. Two hands, one in negative (in red ochre), are visible on the left. Diameter of the solar symbol: 0.18 m.

280 - Col d'Amoggiar (Mauritania). - Ostrich painted in yellowish-white. From head to feet: 0.09 m in height.

281 - Col d'Amoggiar (Mauritania). - Fresco of figures painted in red ochre in a small, isolated rock shelter. At the top left, standing figures can be seen, each with the right hand on the hip and the left hand extended towards the neighbor. The second holds a bow in the right hand. The third holds the second's hand and wears a balloon-like skirt. Below, on the right, a rider, a seated person, and a small bovine. The work is heavily degraded by wind erosion.

282 - Oumat-el-Ham (Mauritania). - Two antelopes painted in red ochre, facing each other with their rear ends. The animal on the right shows only one front and one hind leg. Length from snout to snout: 0.38 m.

283 - Oumat-el-Harn (Mauritania). - A rhinoceros painted in red ochre (discovered by Maximilien Bruggmann in 1969). Length: 0.18 m.

284 - Noudache (Mauritania). - A chariot in a very decadent style, difficult to date. The interest of this chariot, painted in red ochre and drawn by oxen, lies in the driver’s donkey head. From the oxen's head to the driver's head: 0.25 m.

285 - Noudache (Mauritania). - A chariot drawn by two oxen, executed in red ochre. Two-wheeled axle. The driver here is a man. The giraffe is unintentionally comic due to the length of its neck and the excessively long tail. From the giraffe’s snout to the driver’s head: 0.48 m.

286 - El Beridj (Tadrart). - The cliffs have been, in prehistory and even up to today, favored places by humans seeking a habitat. One site of El Beridj is located at the end of the rocky spur to the right. Photos 287 and 288.

289 - El Beridj (Tadrart). - Return to the “diabolo” type of man. This fresco, painted in red ochre and white paint, is located in a deep shelter with a low ceiling. Figures can be seen, including a rider, dogs, goats... A figure painted in white (the “Kokopelli,” according to ethnographers of the Native Americans) playing a flute. Height: 0.15 m.

290 - El Beridj (Tadrart). - At the entrance of the shelter, a hunting scene with a mouflon. It is attacked by three dogs, two red and one white, of which it is unclear whether they are Sloughis. From the tip of the horn to the tail: 0.20 m.

291 - El Beridj (Tadrart). - Large fresco painted in red ochre and white. It measures 2.50 m in width. A large number of bovid species are painted. The animals are on average 0.20 m to 0.25 m in length. Their execution is sometimes very fine (see the red bull, at the top left of the center).

292 - El Beridj (Tadrart). - Deer (?) chased by a dog (Sloughi?). From the animal's muzzle to the dog's tail: 0.55 m in length.

294 - Merkadaoui (Tadrart). - Remarkably painted sheep (?). From the hind leg to the animal's muzzle: 0.25 m.

295 - Merkadaoui (Tadrart). - Red ochre fresco, isolating the sheep from the previous painting.

296 - In Djaren (Tadrart). - Red ochre fresco. Character with a short tunic at the top; with a long tunic at the bottom. The upper figures are exchanging weapons. The lower figure, wearing a long tunic (a woman?), holds unidentified objects. In the lower right corner, a figure raises a stick with one hand and touches an animal with the other. The man in the upper left is 0.17 m tall.

297 - In Djaren (Tadrart). - The red ochre painting of a woman being dressed by others is already known and pertains to the same pastoral ethnic group. In fact, the picture has two groups: the left group shows a woman at her toilette, while the right one depicts a character holding a stick or long object. The scene is difficult to interpret. The panel measures 0.55 m.

299 - In Djaren (Tadrart). - Shelter. Spearman (?). This figure, painted in white, is in the style of Ouan Amil (photo 215): same morphology and same style.

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.

301 - ln Djaren (Tadrart). - Shelter. A fresco in red ochre depicting a therocéphale with a head topped by an oblong sphere. It appears to hold a club in its left hand. Behind it are strange animals, the largest of which, despite appearances, is merely an ungulate.

302 - Ou an Ouksem (Tadrart). - Shelter. A fresco of bovids from the "bovid" period painted in white and red. In the top right, one bovid is above another. The panel shown measures 1.10 m in width.

303 - Ouan Ouksem (Tadrart). - Shelter. Two figures walking (perhaps talking?) painted in red ochre. The figure on the left measures 0.15 m in height from head to foot.

304 - Ouan Ouksem (Tadrart). - Shelter. A large fresco of sheep painted in white. In the lower left, a figure with raised arms may be a later addition. The height of the figure is 0.07 m.

305 - ln Djaren (Tadrart). - Shelter. Considering the basic tools used to create this masterpiece, one can only be amazed. This giraffe, painted in red ochre, is truly surprising. It is also noteworthy that the work, done in a shelter, does not receive direct light. Length 0.43 m.

306 - ln Djaren. - The shelter of the painted giraffe. Photo 305.

315 - Bou Ediane (Tadrart, region of In Djaren). - Rock painting under a shelter showing many figures, all wearing a short tunic tightly fastened at the waist or a long one. The height differences among the figures may be an attempt to respect perspective? Quite a few animals. Men armed with a stick or spear. Heads in the “hyphen” style. The tallest figure, on the left, is 0.42 m in height.

316 - Bou Ediane (region of In Djaren, Tadrart). - Figures with long or short tunics, painted in red or white. The one on the right appears to be holding a spear and a rectangular shield. The one on the left, painted white, holds a bow in the left hand and wears three feathers on its head. The white tunic reaches down to the feet. The white figure is 0.40 m tall.

317 - Bou Ediane (Tadrart, Shelter). - Antelope painted in red and white. Below, a very thin cow, with its udders clearly highlighted. From the front legs to the back legs: 0.60 m.

321 - Ouan Adjane (Tadrart). – Ceiling of a shelter with bovid paintings in two colors. Width of the depicted panel: 0.95 m.

322 - Ouan Adjane (Tadrart). – White-painted figures with curious trilobed heads. The central figure holds a stick and seems to threaten the figure on the left. The figure on the right is only remarkable for the appendage hanging between its legs. Width of the depicted panel: 0.45 m.

323 - Tisseteka (Tadrart). – Yellow ochre-painted giraffe. The hind legs are highly exaggerated. From the hind hoof to the head: 0.30 m.

324 - Tisseteka (Tadrart). – Beautiful fresco painted on the ceiling of a shelter. Bovids with lyre-shaped or hanging horns. The coat of an animal in the middle left is represented by dotted lines. A large bovid at the bottom is lying with one leg folded against its belly. Width of the depicted panel: 0.75 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.

326 - Aouanrhet (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Very slender figures. Very schematic white paintings. The figure in front holds two sticks on one shoulder and a hook (a hoe?) in the other hand. Behind him, an archer seems to be chasing him, but perhaps they are both heading in the same direction in pursuit of game. The left figure measures 0.19 m in height.

326 - Aouanrhet (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - (original photo) Very slender figures. Very schematic white paintings. The figure in front holds two sticks on one shoulder and a hook (a hoe?) in the other hand. Behind him, an archer seems to be chasing him, but perhaps they are both heading in the same direction in pursuit of game. The left figure measures 0.19 m in height.

327 - Aouanrhet (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Small gazelle in brown ochre. On the right, a man painted in white. From the bottom of the legs to the tips of the horns: 0.21 m.

328 - Aouanrhet (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Mysterious fresco organized around two black circles, from which four rays extend to the left, ending in circles covered with a lattice pattern. These circles are all open outward. Between two open circles, at the bottom right, an independent round structure contains two seated people and a child. On the left, but in the open air, a man stands. On the opposite side, at the opposite edge, there is also a black circle from which two rays extend, also ending in round, lattice-like, and open structures. A third ray seems to lead nowhere. Finally, outside of what might be a hut, there is a seated figure. On the left figure, there is also a circle containing another with small rays. The entire painting is done in red ochre, and the represented panel measures 1.36 m.

329 - Aouanrhet (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Detail of the previous structure. Diameter of the "hut": 0.20 m.

330 - Aouanrhet (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - On the left, two standing figures. On the right, a coitus scene and figures that are hard to identify. The coitus scene measures 0.16 m in width.

331 - Aouanrhet (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Fresco of figures dominated by one wearing an improbable hairstyle resembling the coif of the Sisters of Saint-Vincent-de-Paul; none of them appear to be dressed. Width of the panel shown: 0.70 m.

332 - Aouanrhet (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Large masked figure with arm and leg ornaments. On the left, a scene called the "lying swimmer" (?) and other depictions that are difficult to interpret. In the center, note the presence of a woman with tattooed breasts. Width of the panel shown: 2.25 m.

333 - Aouanrhet (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Detail of the previous panel: the woman with tattooed breasts, painted in red ochre. Negroid type.

334 - Aouanrhet (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - The "White Lady" and the "Masked Sorcerer". The "White Lady" has nothing to do with her namesake from South Africa, who charmed Abbé Breuil, nor with a local depiction of another highly adorned woman. Here, it is a massive figure with a "round head" crowned with a feather (?). Facing her, on the left, the face of a man wearing a white loincloth, with his body depicted in a pattern of small diamonds. Everything is typically African.

335 - Aouanrhet (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - The true "White Lady" of Tassili. Notice the "horned mask." The attire is typically African. A mystical feeling emanates from this painting. From one horn to the other: about 0.50 m.

341 - Oued Djérat (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Another chariot in the "flying gallop," painted in ochre. The perspective is better observed here, as the reins go directly from the driver's hands to the necks of the two horses. The axle ends in two wheels with four spokes. Three spears inclined forward seem to be fixed on the platform. Two dogs run alongside the chariot. Below, three men in short tunics carry shields. Three others precede the horses: they are armed with spears and shields. One of them has a head resembling that of a dog.

342 - Oued Djérat (Tassili-n'Ajjer, between Aha and Anafeg). - Ochre painting of a chariot with three horses. The perspective is incorrect: the chariot appears to be flying above the horses. This chariot period marks the peak of the Horse Period. Large figure on the left. On the right, a small figure that is difficult to observe.

343 - Oued Djérat (Tassili-n'Ajjer, between Aha and Anafeg). - Large bovine painted in red ochre. It partly obscures a chariot, and the number of horses is hard to determine. Above the bovine's back, there is a small quadruped painted in white and red. It is followed by men, who are preceded by a little devil. A white square is found at the center of the ox. Its explanation has yet to be found.

347 - Oued Djérat (Tassili-n'Ajjer, shelter between Aha and Anafeg). - Painted chariot with three horses. The platform seems independent of the driver. The reins are anachronistically depicted. Dark brown figures are in front of the chariot, two of which carry sticks.

348 - Oued Djérat (Tassili-n'Ajjer, same shelter). - Bovid, two-toned in red and white, moving from left to right. A deer (?) is visible at the top left. Below, there is a procession of figures in short tunics.

349 - Oued Djérat (Tassili-n'Ajjer, same shelter). - Bovid, antelopes, and various animals painted in ochre and white. On the right, warriors with spears are visible. Very fine painting with ochre, ranging from dark brown to a wine-red tone. A man armed with a spear also holds a strange object ending in a hook, which is common in this area.

350 - Oued Djérat (Tassili-n'Ajjer, same shelter). - White and ochre paintings depicting horned bovids with lyre-shaped horns. The central figure appears to wear, like in Ouan Amil, a cape or stole falling from the shoulder. On the left, a cow with clearly depicted udders. Note the extensive representation of figures with long or short tunics, but tightly cinched at the waist.

393 - Oued Djérat (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Tuareg warrior. Modern ethnography accounts for the entire equipment of both man and beast.

398 - Jabbaren (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Painting from the period known as the "round heads". A composition reminiscent of modern "Martians". All in shades from yellow to brown. Sometimes the heads are completely spherical. Here, one feels powerless to interpret what the eye observes, as it neither corresponds to what we know nor to what we believe. No regular lines, no familiar objects. How one would like to understand what the artists were trying to tell us! At the center of the panel, a procession of figures rendered in dark brown. On their heads, there are horns (?) or baskets with handles. The costumes are as difficult to describe as the heads. Height of the figure: 0.78 m.

399 - Jabbaren (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Mural of the same type as the previous one, treated in dark brown. Height of the central figure: 0.32 m.

400 - Jabbaren (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - White painting of two figures with "round heads". In reality, their heads are red. On the right, note the "transparent skirt". Width of the depicted panel: 0.78 m.

401 - Jabbaren (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - The "Abyssinian". This magnificent painting presents an individual with fine features, abundant hair, and a beard. There are not only White and Black people. A whole ethnic group consists of "Whites with dark skin". They are numerous in East Africa and once frequented the Sahara.

402 - Jabbaren (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - This is a true "Neolithic city", in other words, a "place of life". It is in this shelter that the famous "Abyssinian" was created, which can be seen in the upper right quarter of the photo. The feet are nearly invisible.

403 - Jabbaren (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - General view of another shelter, whose walls are covered in polychrome paintings ranging from white to dark brown. It should be noted that these are men with a distinctly Negroid morphology. Almost all of them are depicted in an aggressive posture, running, often with a bow in hand. Also noteworthy are the curved, narrower structures in front and thicker at the back. The depiction of bovids remains very naturalistic. We are still in the "bovid era". Width of the depicted panel: 2.60 m.

404 - Jabbaren (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Detail from photo 403. At the top left and bottom right, bovids are shown ridden by three figures. At the top, in front of the cow, a runner precedes them at high speed. Above the yellow ox, which he overtakes on the right, an archer appears to be drawing his bow, while behind him, a man holds a bundle of arrows (?) and walks in front of another who carries a staff resting on his hips. This is still a familiar attitude among shepherds today.

405 - Jabbaren (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - In the center of this other detail from photo 403, an archer holds a bow in front of him, with his arms outstretched, painted in a curious white color. He is distinctly dolichocephalic, his body is slender and very long-limbed. The male sex is clearly marked. Above him, slightly to the left, is a magnificent bovine painted with fine lines but without any coloration of the fur.

406 - Jabbaren (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Detail from photo 403. Archers with well-stocked quivers appear to be attacking an enemy. Upon viewing these scenes, it is clear that this black ethnicity is engaged in warfare, not hunting.

407 - Jabbaren (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Final detail of panel 403. The galloping archer is clearly visible in his pastoral bovine setting.

408 - Jabbaren (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Hunting scene (?). The archers seem to be facing animals. Note that the quiver is worn on the left side. It is also possible that the quiver is a "ring" hanging from the belt, as the arrows are distinctly visible in front and behind the body at waist level. The figures measure between 0.13 m and 0.18 m in height.

409 - Jabbaren (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Two running archers. Between 0.13 m and 0.18 m in height.

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.

413 - Jabbaren (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Pastoral scene, painted in red ochre. Below, schematically, a hunting scene is depicted. The figures at the top are dressed in "tunics." Width of the scene depicted: 1.10 m.

414 - Jabbaren (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Curious ochre painting with beings having very "puffed-up" hair, as is occasionally encountered. Some of them seem to be touching it. Some of the figures are seated. Width of the rock: 0.74 m.

415 - Jabbaren (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Stylized birds. Based on their thighs, they are probably ostriches. The legs are painted with red ochre. The contours of the body are indicated by a thick white line.

416 - Jabbaren (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Body of an ostrich painted in white, preceded by a young ostrich. Width of the panel: 2.55 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.

420 - Jabbaren (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Pastoral scene painted in red and white ochre. The figures in the center have a very tall hairstyle. They may be women. The gestures are elegant and well-observed. The person in the center is 0.21 m in height.

421 - Jabbaren (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Another bucolic scene. Some heads resemble those of "praying mantises." Painting in red and white ochre. Width of the depicted panel: 0.77 m.

422 - Jabbaren (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - A figure painted in white with a dark loincloth. It is accompanied by a small ungulate. In its hands, it holds what may be a “sickle” made of flint shards inserted into a mammal rib. It wears (?) some sort of headdress, and in front of it is an antelope. From the tail of the small antelope to the man's forehead: 0.27 m.

423 - Jabbaren (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - The right part of the fresco, damaged by erosion, is unreadable. However, on the left, beneath the black figures we just saw, there is a procession of other people whose visible breasts allow us to affirm that six of them are women, and there are no taboos in this regard. Height of the depicted panel: 0.63 m.

424 - Jabbaren (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - A large animal painted in dark red ochre. The lack of frontal horns suggests it might be an anteater (?). The thickness of the legs is striking. From the base of the tail to the snout: 0.67 m.

425 - Jabbaren (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - "Hell." It is strange to encounter horned little devils who are, according to their creators, neither men nor beasts. Their origin is the same fantasy that populated the hells of the Middle East and other places with demonic beings. In any case, this testimony serves as a marker for the evocation of evil. Height of the little devil on the center-left: 0.17 m.

426 - Jabbaren (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Figures with "round" heads, like those from Tan-Zoumaïtak. They are painted white and hold a bow in the right hand, a stick (?) in the left hand. The central figure wears a belt with an appendage.

427 - Jabbaren (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Drawing based on a photo by Maximilien Bruggmann of two very beautiful oxen with precise anatomy. The horns are typical and emphasize their racial characteristics. The perspective is well studied. From the right snout to the left tail: 0.57 m in length.

427 - Jabbaren (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - (original photo) Drawing based on a photo by Maximilien Bruggmann of two very beautiful oxen with precise anatomy. The horns are typical and emphasize their racial characteristics. The perspective is well studied. From the right snout to the left tail: 0.57 m in length.

428 - Jabbaren (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - A walking goat. The exact contour is painted in dark red ochre, and the udder is clearly indicated. At the bottom right, there is a small, undifferentiated figure. Height of the goat: 0.30 m.

429 - Jabbaren (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – The "Jabbaren cow," easily identifiable by its udder and morphology. The poor perspective shows a single horn projected too far forward. It is also possible the artist intended to depict an animal with just one horn. The line across the belly is not from the time of the painting. Perhaps the necklace also doesn’t belong to the same era. The body of the animal, outlined with a fine red ochre line, is particularly beautiful. From the front horn to the end of the tail: 0.32 m.

430 - Jabbaren (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - This hunter (or "archer") wears a loincloth that retains the skin of the animal's legs and tail from which it originates. The man holds a bow in his left hand. Painted in red ochre. Height of the figure: 0.21 m.

431 - Jabbaren (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – In the large shelter of Jabbaren, one can admire this reproduction, whose grace, long neck, and the delicacy of the large legs surely belong to an antelope. The head and neck are very well observed (detail of the next photo).

432 - Jabbaren (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – A painted fresco showing, in red ochre, a group of bovines, antelopes, and figures. It is possible that the artist wanted to represent not large antelopes, but horses.

433 - Jabbaren (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – We are back in Tadrart Acacous, where we saw the first figures wearing a kind of cape on their backs. This red and white painting from Jabbaren clearly shows the garment, which seems to be held by a belt over the white tunic. The heads of the two men appear adorned with feathers. Height 0,15 m

434 - Jabbaren (the large shelter, Tassili-n'Ajjer). – Four costumed figures clearly show the territorial expansion of the ethnic group already encountered in Acacous. In their right hands, they hold indefinable objects. White paint dominates, and red ochre highlights precise details. At the bottom left, a well-rendered bovine is painted.

435 - Jabbaren (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – Bovines moving to the right. A beautiful polychrome painting emphasizing anatomical precision, which gives the viewer the feeling of actually witnessing a pastoral scene. At the top left, a "crescent-shaped structure" is seen, already noted elsewhere: refer to photo 403 from the Jabbaren site.

437 - Jabbaren (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – A very fine document showing well the use of the walls of a rock shelter. Its floor continues from that of the neighboring shelter. The large herd of bovines is characteristic of the beautiful polychrome paintings of the pastoral period and shows the homogeneity of a bovine species with multiple coat colors. Width of the depicted slab: 1.20 m.

438 - Jabbaren (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Mural of bovines from the pastoral period, painted with red ochre and white paint. There is a predominance of males. It can be assumed that castration was already known at this time, but it is unclear what economic practices governed the management of these large herds. The panel depicted is 1.85 meters wide.

439 - Jabbaren (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Detail of the previous panel. The combination of red ochre with various metal oxides allowed the creation of black-brown, green, blue, and yellow hues.

440 - Jabbaren (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Negative handprints. We have already seen similar messages at the introduction. They are moving because they represent the mark of a human who left them on the rock while making a wish. Was it fulfilled?

442 - Ouan Bender (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - We return here to the realm of the "round heads" and a strong preference for the color white. The position is typical but not that of a worshiper. The posterior appendage might refer to a loincloth, though not specified. The fingers of the hands and the feet are well depicted. Height: 0.82 m. Note that working in Ouan Bender, strictly prohibited for tourists, requires special authorization from the director of the "Tassili National Park", authorization which Maximilien Bruggmann had.

443 - Ouan Bender (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - A figure with a "round head," drawn in black paint, partially erased. The figure holds a stick in its right hand. The left arm is firmly extended to the right. The feet are no longer visible. Height of the figure: 0.70 m.

444 - Ouan Bender (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Group of figures painted in white and outlined in black. Their activities are no longer identifiable. Central figure: 0.70 m in height.

445 - Ouan Bender (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Very beautiful ox with widely spread horns, painted in a burgundy color. It measures 0.35 meters in length, from the front ear to the base of the tail.

446 - Ouan Bender (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - This photo and the following ones, up to 451, belong to the same shelter. Here we see a large mural that continues on the opposite page (photo 448). Several figures are depicted amidst scattered cattle. The small bovine located at the top, slightly to the right of the center, is the same one shown in the photo above (445). The panel is 2.85 m wide.

447 - Ouan Bender (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Very interesting domestic scene, possibly involving barter. As far as can be judged, the features of the two individuals appear Europoid. Height of the depicted panel: 0.34 m.

448 - Ouan Bender (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Continuation of photo 446, which connects on its left side. At the top of this document, slightly left behind the bovine, there is a curious zoomorphic figure that, according to Y. Tschudi, represents two gazelles. Giraffes, goats, cattle, and human figures are visible. Width of the depicted panel: 3.36 m.

449 - Ouan Bender (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - A symbolic figure painted with bold strokes. Perhaps an elephant whose legs are overloading a fore bovid. In this curious figure, two back ends of undetermined animals are also visible, touching at the median section of the belly. Height of the figure: 0.48 m.

450 - Ouan Bender (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - The animal (?) from the previous photo, as seen by Y. Tschudi. (Tschudi Y. - North African Rock Paintings. Sansoni Ed., Florence, 1955).

451 - Ouan Bender (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - A complex scene. It is not possible to "classify" the depictions. A figure with a "round head" forms the main part of the painting. It is overlain on the left by a gazelle and on the right by a figure presumably following this gazelle. The figure measures 0.34 m from feet to head.

452 - Ouan Bender (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - In the center, two large antelopes painted in ochre are visible.

453 - Ouan Bender (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - A large white-painted mouflon, resembling the same animals associated with "round heads." A beautiful polychrome ensemble of bovines, antelopes, goats, and humans... From one mouflon horn to the other: 0.53 m.

454 - Ouan Bender (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - A very beautiful depiction of cows painted in dark ochre brown. Panel height: 0.87 m.

455 - Ouan Bender (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – A splendid painted document that gives the exact vision of the shepherds responsible for the herds. The horns are exactly those still seen today in some regions of East Africa. Such a work deserves to be listed in the world heritage inventory. One must be grateful to the Algerian authorities for having restricted access to it. The polychrome tones enhance the high quality of the drawing. Panel represented: 0.82 m in width.

456 - Ouan Bendr (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – A decadent work depicting hoofed animals that are difficult to identify. Although painted, this fresco lacks the accuracy and freshness of the previous ones. Width of the panel represented: 0.87 m.

457 - Ouan Bender (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – Negroid figures painted in red ochre, in the same style as the animals in photo 456.

458 - Ouan Bender (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – Certainly, this "dromedary" is amusing, but it is only a dromedary due to the comic nature of its appearance: the art reflects the decadence of the climate. From the front foot to the muzzle: 0.17 m.

459 - Ouan Bender (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – This dromedary with a fishbone-shaped tail is harnessed logically, unlike the "frame," in which a figure without legs is seated, but has a leather cushion in front of it. The "frame" measures 0.16 m in height and 0.23 m in width.

460 - Ozeneare (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – Rhinoceros treated with dark ochre. The animal is shown at a gallop. The horns are painted white. The small tail is typical of the animal. From the tip of the horn to the rear foot: 0.49 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.

462 - Ozeneare (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – Character with a Negroid morphology, the speed pulling the loincloth backward. The head is white. Width of the depicted panel: 0.41 m.

463 - Ozeneare (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – This beautiful pastoral scene is painted in ochre and with multiple colors, giving it an astonishing impression of life. The individuals are Negroid. The bovines are in a static position, but the characters are captured in their daily activities. At the top, two people are lying down. Another person is seated, one arm back, hand on the ground. There is a child (?) at the height of a woman's (?) legs who is lying down. Further to the right, someone is lying down. The character at the bottom center is 0.27 m high.

464 - Ozeneare (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – Two shepherds, including a Negroid woman on the right. She has a white hairstyle and a white loincloth. Her breasts are visible. She holds a basket in her right hand and an indeterminate object in her left. The character on the left is less defined. Between the two, there is an indeterminate circular structure. The woman is 0.16 m tall. Red ochre and white painting.

465 - Ozeneare (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – Drawing of an ox made from a photo by Maximilien Bruggmann.

466 - Ozeneare (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – Large, two-colored cow with white horns. It is depicted on a shelter wall. From the rear hoof to the front horn alignment: 0.21 m.

467 - Ozeneare (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – Negroid character with white hairstyle, holding an indeterminate object in the left hand. Three curved lines extend from the lower abdomen with no plausible explanation. The figure is 0.14 m tall.

468 - Ozeneare (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Large painted cow. Behind it, a character appearing obese. In fact, obesity, like pregnant women, is almost never depicted. Panel depicted: 0.57 m in width.

469 - Ozeneare (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - The multiplicity of frescoes of bovines, in which males seem to dominate, raises many questions. The first concerns the significance of the vegetation cover, which itself suggests a humid episode capable of sustaining sufficient pasture. Then, one wonders how this herd contributed to the local economy. The Maasai or Fulani today do not act like Norman farmers. Finally, such a herd requires veterinary knowledge, if only to castrate the bulls.

470 - Ozeneare (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Three cows with polychrome coats. One has a green and white coat. The green is probably obtained by mixing yellow ochre and manganese blue. Width of the depicted panel: 0.57 m.

471 - Ozeneare (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - A figure with a "round head," which, as a reminder, refers to Tin-Tazarift. Painted here in dark ochre, it wears a short tunic. Above, a finely painted ox in red ochre.

472 - Ozeneare (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Enlargement of the ox shown in photo 471. It measures 0.28 m from muzzle to tail. One can admire the fineness and accuracy of the painted line.

473 - Ozeneare (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - In a "rock medallion," a figure with a striped head holds a staff with an outstretched arm. Width of the depicted panel: 0.30 m.

474 - Ozeneare (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - In the center of the ceiling of a shelter, a circle painted in red ochre. The diameter is 0.08 m. From this circle, which contains a smaller one, small appendages with double lines extend. They are small in size, except for one that is extended and fades into the wall. There is no explanation for this.

475 - Ozeneare (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Small frieze of more or less finished bovines. The top beast on the left measures 0.15 m from muzzle to tail.

476 - Ozeneare (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – Five figures depicted in dark ochre, their loincloths are white, and their heads are dolichocephalic. The musculature of their thighs is emphasized and suggests walkers. They are also shown in this posture. The width of the depicted scene: 0.33 m.

479 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – The "Martian" remains mysterious, as it evokes a ritual whose meaning eludes us. This male figure – the sex is emphasized – has a body that is too long. The hands, with five fingers, are in the so-called orant position, but the nature of the protuberances on the arms and the shape of the head remain unexplained. He wears two bracelets represented by three lines on each arm. On the left, a small figure seems to be invoking him. Perhaps it is wearing a belt? The structure with vertical lines has no known meaning. Mysterious horned animals make the scene even more difficult to interpret. The scene, painted in white with red outlines, is at least mysterious and possibly magical. The arms of the orant measure 1.55 m from hand to hand.

480 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – Location of the "Martian" in the fresco from Séfar. The width of the panel depicted here: 8 m.

The shelter with the ‘Martian’ from Séfar.

481 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – The animal, also painted in white, has been deformed to make it appear mysterious. The panel depicted is 1.55 m wide.

482 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Strange figures. The person on the right has a face resembling a pachyderm, though the trunk ends in a fork. He wears a belt with a long tail and holds a basket (?). Behind him, an individual with a belt threatens him with a club held high in the right hand. The basket held by the person on the right is 0.28 m wide. The animal on the left may be a goat-like creature (?).

483 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - This scene shocked many people, but it must be seen in the mysterious context of the “shelter-temple” that eludes our understanding. In fact, the interpretation is very difficult and, lacking a “key,” it boils down to assumptions tainted by our rationalism. The first figure, on the right, is seen in profile. It has only one leg, a horned head, and an oversized arm (?). Should we believe the protrusion from its belly is a penis? Or is it merely the continuation of the arm of the individual following it? This entire three-figure scene is mysterious and probably mythical. Time of the “round heads,” white painting bordered with red. Width of the depicted panel: 0.40 m.

484 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - “Tarzan”! Here we remain in the mythical, without knowing what the creators of these white paintings intended to tell us. The large figure on the right has powerful arms. To his left, a woman identified by her breasts raises her arms in the air. The individual preceding her holds a striped structure. Other paintings are even less identifiable. Chest width of the “gorilla”: 0.29 m.

485 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Red ochre painting with white outlines. Time of the “round heads.” Perhaps we are witnessing an intimate scene depicting a couple and their child. This is a valid hypothesis. The figure on the right wears striped pants. Note the lack of muscle mass in the thighs, in contrast to the black bovid archers.

486 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Red ochre painting. Time of the “round heads.” The figure on the left, in red ochre, shows a marked but not ithyphallic penis in the precise sense of the word. The individuals around him seem to be dancing. They wear a belt extended by an appendage on their backs. The patterns on the chest of those on the right suggest a garment.

487 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Time of the “round heads,” red painting with fine lines. The central figure seems to be standing between the legs of an animal, with the figure on the right also holding the leg of another animal. The central figure’s sex is indicated, while the figure on the left touches the animal’s right leg, at the same level as the central figure.

488 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Is it a Bubale (Pelaravis antiquus Duv.), as the horns suggest? This white painting surrounded by red is typical of the animals depicted at Séfar. From muzzle to tail: 2.70 m long.

489 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Elephant with brown outlines and painted in white. It is typical of the Séfar style. From the tip of the tail to the trunk: 1.05 m.

490 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Headless figure with oversized limbs. From the left arm, an inexplicable striped structure extends. From elbow to elbow: 0.40 m.

491 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - This large panel is actually 3.50 m wide and is entirely covered with overlapping or stacked paintings. Therefore, it is difficult to interpret. The overall design seems to belong to the "round head" period. On the left side and at the top, several circular objects are visible, extended downward by straps (?). At the top, two small rectangular protrusions are present. These might be shields. A figure holds a tilted spear. To its left, curious beings have round heads adorned with small patterns unrelated to anatomy. In the middle, a procession of small animals is heading right. Numerous human figures, of different sizes and mostly painted in white, are still identifiable.

492 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Enlarged detail of the previous fresco. Note, at the bottom center, the figure with the Mickey Mouse head.

493 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - The figure painted in white with a dark outline bears some resemblance to the "Martian" already seen at Séfar (photo 479). But here, it holds a spear (?) in its right hand and something indistinct in its left hand. A crescent is also depicted to its right. The body is very slender, and the thighs seem spread apart, but the legs do not continue. Chest width: 0.44 m.

494 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - On the left, a white-painted circle with a diameter of 0.32 m. Numerous animals and figures in the "round head" style. Everything is executed in white paint.

495 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - From the same period, an entanglement of animals, figures, and symbols.

496 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Thick figure with too small arms. The body is indicated by clumsy strokes of paint. The head is no longer visible. In front of it, one can make out a figure painted in white.

497 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Finely outlined figure in dark ochre. Here, the loincloth is clearly visible, with a front and a back part. The same should apply to all representations where it is incomplete. In front of the figure, an oval shape is visible, with no plausible explanation. A large number of very small figures raises the question of the relationship that might exist between large and small beings?

498 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Extraordinary fresco painted over several periods. At the bottom, there is a parade of white mouflons mixed with figures painted in dark ochre. Bottom left, a familiar scene with figures painted in white. At the top, another scene, this time involving black shepherds fighting with their bows. On the left, behind a man with a clearly visible loincloth, one might infer a dead man.

499 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - This photograph is a very fine document and at the same time highlights the difficulty of analyzing its content. It all seems to belong to the "round head" phase, to which the left figure undoubtedly belongs. On the right, one can clearly distinguish a giraffe.

500 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Masks have always been problematic because they were primarily associated with hunting. In fact, in many forms, they seem to be linked to fertility through what we refer to with the umbrella term "sexuality." But here, it is a true mask with no connection to the animal and likely related to rites still unidentified in rock art. The masks shown in photographs 500 - and 501 belong to a series of three, the last being incomplete. Each mask is 0.50 m wide.

501 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - This mask is of the same inspiration as the previous one. Some authors have denied that such objects can be identified with such precision, while some African specialists see in these paintings the ancestors of all the masks on the continent.

502 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Extraordinary bust of a character lavishly dressed with a kind of hat with a crest and well-dressed. The features are distinctly human. There is a fresco of similar individuals in Jabbaren. The women of this group do not wear this hairstyle.

503 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Large fresco painted in red ochre, dark gray, and yellow. The bovids are not depicted in the best way possible for the artists of this period. There are also people, as well as circular structures that could represent shelters (huts?). At least sixty bovids can be counted. The panel measures 2.60 meters in width.

504 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Pastoral scene painted in ochre with remarkable precision. Some of the bovids are cows. One of the animals, in the center at the top, is ridden by a couple, one of whom, located at the front, is holding an unidentified object. The stick wrapped with a strap along its entire length is placed across the horns. In the top-right corner, a greyhound with a long snout, fast runner's legs, and a narrow pelvis is sniffing the ground. The archer below holds both his bow and two arrows, which is a well-observed gesture. It is also noted that he wears a loincloth.

505 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - The wife of Séfar, identifiable by her breasts, has a prominent belly which could indicate pregnancy: She wears a bracelet on each arm and holds with both hands an unidentified curved object. Height of the figure: 0.95 meters.

506 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Typical pastoral scene, interesting because of the depictions of rectangular structures, which might be huts (?). These paintings, made 2.80 meters above the ground, belong to a long list of “reportages” that gradually give us a deeper understanding of pastoral life.

507 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Oxen and cows. The two animals in the center are shown with only one horn visible. The ox on the right has a collar. Everything is painted in brown ochre. A seated man is depicted with a hairstyle. The distance from the back of the bovids on the left to the arm of the seated man on the right is 0.80 meters.

508 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Painted giraffes, their coat represented by dotted spots. The large giraffe measures 0.31 meters in height.

509 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Pastoral scene. Polychrome painting. Behind the last cow, in the top-left corner, an individual leans and extends a stick toward the bovine. Height of this figure: 0.11 meters.

510 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Antelope painted in fine and precise lines with red ochre.

511 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Pastoral scene. Figures engaged in their tasks amidst a herd of cows with very varied coats. Above, crouching figures and an unidentifiable structure. Below, another figure with moving arms. The animal above him measures 0.17 m in length, from the forehead to the back leg.

512 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Gazelles (?). It seems that the one at the top, in the center, has a young one with her. Two-colored painting in white and dark ochre. Height of the left animal: 0.12 m.

513 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - A couple painted in red ochre, consisting of an archer who may be in the act of picking one of the arrows (left side), and a woman following him, with both hands stretched downward; the fingers are painted with precision. A piece of the woman’s clothing is blown by the wind to her back. Definitely a Negroid type, as revealed by several skeletons found in the region. The woman measures 0.19 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.

515 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - A Negroid archetype, with powerful musculature and a determined look, treated in dark red ochre. He wears a feather on his head and no visible clothing. He appears to be holding arrows in his right hand. Height of the figure: 0.21 m.

516 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Pastoral scene painted in red ochre. True imagery from daily life, these small panels show a multitude of details from everyday life. Below, a figure bent over faces another kneeling. They are engaged in a mysterious activity that must have been part of their daily life. The figure on the right measures 0.18 m.

517 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - The man with the axe, treated in red ochre, gives us insight into one of the confirmed uses of stone axes found in the Sahara. From feet to axe: 0.18 m.

518 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – "The Conversation". Painting in red ochre. The woman sitting on the left, with her knees folded under her, faces a seated figure, whose right leg is stretched out, and the left is folded beneath. An extraordinary intimate character to the scene. The woman on the left is 0.14 m tall.

519 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – Pastoral scene painted in red ochre and white paint. Two groups of seated individuals are talking in pairs. On the right, an oval white structure may represent a dwelling. Below, a procession of cattle. The figure on the extreme left is 0.19 m tall.

520 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – Painting in ochre. The outer feet of the two figures on the right and left: 0.68 m wide.

521 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – Pastoral scene. At the bottom left, an animal that is difficult to identify. It might be a sow with a piglet. Several standing or sitting figures. A large ox on the right. The "sow" is 0.24 m long.

522 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – A "shepherd" extends something to a bovine facing him. This red ochre painting is less carefully executed than usual (legs of the right cow). From the horns to the hind legs: 0.22 m.

523 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – A Negro man, painted in red ochre, extends his right hand towards a sort of cube. Height of the man: 0.25 m.

524 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – Return to the time of the "round heads" with these stylized but refined paintings. A woman in the background watches the dance of two others, leaning to the right and wearing a loincloth. The one on the right wears curious white shin guards, flared at the bottom, two pieces of fabric tied to her arms, and a white headdress. She measures 0.24 m from head to foot.

525 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – These extraordinary fashion engravings, in reality paintings, reveal much about a civilization of which we know nothing. These women (?) are dressed in blouses, trousers, and in two cases, "leggings".

526 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – Scene of a ritual dance. The polychrome figures: dark brown, red, white, light yellow, are richly dressed and coiffed. They appear to be holding a stick. The tallest dancer is 0.48 m tall.

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.

530 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – Another "positive" hand at the end of its arm. Below, a very rare depiction of a fire. Europoid figures with headgear. The arm and hand measure 0.51 m in length.

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.

532 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – A Europoid character irreverently called "De Gaulle". Height: 0.20 m.

533 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – This teratological bovine consists of two front parts welded together in the middle of the belly. It is the opposite of the "monster" from In Habeter III, where two rear ends are welded together at the same point (photo 194). Length from one snout to the other: 0.35 m.

534 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – Curious figures painted in ochre. In the center, a horn (possibly an elephant tusk?). The figure with an oversized neck is 0.17 m high.

535 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Strange painting connecting an animal's rear end to a human torso. Width of the belly: 0.09 m.

536 - Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Line drawing of an archer whose legs are twice the height of the torso. He still holds his bow in the left hand – like most depicted archers – and a stick in the right hand. His belt supports a cloth strip covering the groin. Notable features include: arm ring, necklace, appendages under the right arm, and hair hanging down the neck. Height of the depicted figure: 0.35 m.

537 - Tan-Zoumaïtak (Tassili n'Ajjer). - The dancers in ceremonial attire appear to wear long tunics, with the fabric band at the waist possibly forming a knot. If you look at the right hand of the left dancer, it seems to rest on the left mouflon, suggesting that the dancers and the mouflons were contemporaneous. Note the structure of the headdresses and the unique decoration of the heads. The arms bear numerous rings.

538 - Tan-Zoumaïtak (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Magnificent mouflon with typical horns finely adorned with a fine brush. From the "round heads" period, reminiscent of Séfar. On the right, a figure resembling a Medusa. Below, small bovids, one of which has a white disk. On the left, an unidentifiable animal, in the style of Séfar, with red contour and a white body. The mouflon itself is painted in dark brown. This photo, like the previous one, shows details of the beautiful panel already seen in Photo 4 in the introduction.

539 - Tan-Zoumaïtak (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - This red ochre painting shows, on the left, a small figure with abundant hair partially inserted into a circle from which strips hang. The animal on the right might be a dark brown sheep. The circle measures 0.20 m in diameter.

540 - Tan-Zoumaïtak (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - In the style of the "round-head" dancers in olive color. The one on the left extends her arms toward a baby (?). Her feet appear to touch an antelope. On the right, a figure holds a stick; above, another, larger and older. Height of this figure: 1.10 m.

541 - Tan-Zoumaïtak (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Always the same adorned people with "round heads." This one is painted in light brown with white dots. Curious drop-shaped ornaments hang from the arms: a large one at the wrist, two small ones attached at the top of the arm. The figure on the right is painted in light brown. Height of the adorned figure: 0.72 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.

543 - Tan-Zoumaïtak (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Facing the previous shelter, on rocks, there are other testimonies from the Pastoral Period. The cow on the right is remarkable for the precision of its udder. Length of this cow: 0.30 m.

545 - Tin-Aboteka (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - On a vertical rocky platform, a pastoral scene painted in ochre, consisting solely of Negroid figures, well attested by their morphology. Height of the panel: 1.85 m.

546 - Tin-Aboteka (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - A large three-legged ox in a scene painted with dark red ochre. In fact, it seems that for some unknown reason, the right leg remains unfinished. The horns are bent back on the head. Below, a "round-headed" figure holds a bow.

Maximilien Bruggmann photographing the preceding rock painting in Tin-Aboteka (Tassili-n'Ajjer).

547 - Tin-Aboketa (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Two Negroid figures, the one on the left holding a bow in his left hand and a spear in the other, with the triangular shaft visible. He is 1.60 m tall.

548 - Tin-Aboteka (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Three rectangular structures, two of which show stakes (?) at each corner and contain indeterminate objects in the shape of spools. Three in the right structure, one in the two others. In all three structures, the lines forming the rectangles are doubled on the outside. Width of the right rectangle: 0.50 m.

549 - Tin-Aboteka (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Ochre painting showing a man activating the walk of an ox heading to the right. Above, a figure and another ox are also going in the same direction. For the ox below, from the posterior right hoof to the anterior left hoof: 0.30 m.

550 - Tin-Aboteka (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Indeterminate animal, possibly a dog. The tail is highly imaginative. A serration of the entire contour corresponds to the animal's fur, which is probably of more recent origin and whose age should be determined by the Tifinagh characters. Painted with red ochre.

551 - Tin-Aboteka (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Negroid archers running to the right, their head profile resembling that of a dog. The figure in the center-left has a dark red circle on their head.

552 - Tin-Aboteka (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Beautiful painted scene, with a figure seated at the top, whose head is replaced by a dash that represents only its central part (the head was surrounded by a light yellow painted hairstyle, of which only traces remain). The tunic wraps around the figure. The left hand is at the end of an arm resting on the knee. In the right hand, an undefined object is extended toward a hemispherical shape (perhaps a bag). To the left, a large standing figure. Below, a person dressed in a strip loincloth carries a basket (?) on their arm. Lower right, another unclear scene. The large figure is 0.50 m tall.

553 - Tin-Aboteka (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Very important painted scene, showing a "flying gallop" chariot drawn by two drivers and another person. The driver at the top center holds six reins that are not aligned with the (or the) yoke. Below, in the center, another indistinct driver holds two reins. Eight reins should correspond to four horses... but only one is visible! Other individuals are also seen, along with a dog running beside the chariot. The dog measures 0.16 m in length and fits into a panel 0.83 m wide.

554 - Tin-Aboteka (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - A tall figure wearing loose clothing and a hieratic attitude. He seems to be uncovering his head (?). He is 0.45 m tall. Next to him on the right, and therefore on his left, is another figure that is difficult to identify.

555 - Tin-Aboteka (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Horses, riders, camels, ostriches, dogs from more recent times. Width of the horse at the top right: 0.42 m.

556 - Tin-Aboteka (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Difficult-to-define quadruped. It might be a hoofed animal. It measures 0.28 m from the left hoof to the tip of the tail.

557 - Tin-Tazarift (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Detail of the fresco, the subject of the next photo (558), where in the center, slightly lower, a very small gazelle can be seen, whose head overlaps the reclining figure above it.

558 - Tin-Tazarift (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Fresco depicting figures painted in brown ochre, with round heads and two small antennas. It is unclear why two of them are shown lying down. The archer, at the bottom right, holds a double-curved bow.

559 - Tin-Tazarift (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - The same enlarged archer holds an arrow in his left hand.

560 - Tin-Tazarift (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Enlargement of the "swimmer" from photo 558.

561 - Tin-Tazarift (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - A large figure painted in dark ochre, overlaid by a white painted mouflon, followed by another coming from the left. The importance of this wild ruminant in the "round heads" animal park is surprising.

562 - Tin-Tazarift (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - The "sprinter": an excellent study made with a finely painted line that accurately depicts the running posture. Height of the figure: 0.22 m.

Tin Tazarift is located about two hours' walk northwest of Séfar in a labyrinth of sandstone streets and towers. The main shelter houses a group of large black round-headed figures with horned heads, as well as several other figures in very good condition. Algeria - Tassili n'Ajjer - 1993

563 - Tin-Tazarift (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - A figure painted in light brown ochre, seemingly seated. It belongs to the "round heads" period, wearing a loincloth and arm rings. The ovoid structure with a dark center, towards which the subject extends one arm, has no clear explanation. Height of the figure: 0.45 m.

564 - Tin-Tazarift (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Panel containing, among other things, the figure from photo 561. In the center, a small haloed figure. To the right, partly hidden by a bovine painted in light ochre, a large figure. The discovery of four fish complements the find of fossil fish bones on the ground. To the left, two white mouflons. All painted in light or dark brown.

565 - Tin-Tazarift (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Amazing painting of a "round head" figure showing a protuberance on the skull. Two curved appendages extend from each arm. In the left hand, the figure holds a long object with a sharp base, terminating in a small oblong mass at the top. In the right hand, it can be inferred that he holds a puzzle. A dagger is visible at the belt; in front of this "warrior", another figure, barely discernible, possibly from a different era. Below, two small paintings of negroid figures. Everything is painted in brown ochre. The large figure measures 0.86 m in height.

566 - Tin-Tazarift (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – Three gazelles whose lightness is well rendered. Bicolor painting. From the front hoof to the rear hoof: 0.22 m in length.

567 - Tin-Tazarift (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – Painted fresco depicting a figure with its hand resting on the hindquarters of a large bovine and wearing a clearly identifiable loincloth. At the bottom right, a recognizable sheep is visible. The figure is 0.20 m tall.

568 - Tin-Tazarift (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – In a shelter on the Tin-Aboteka trail, this seated woman watches a cow with lyre-shaped horns peacefully move away. Above, very difficult to read, older paintings can be seen. From the base of the tail to the nostrils, the cow is 0.33 m long.

569 - Tin-Tazarift (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – Pastoral fresco in dark red ochre. The bovines are depicted in motion, moving away to the right. Figures armed with bows accompany them. In the background, a calf is being forcefully driven. From the nostrils of the calf to the rear leg of the man: 0.10 m in length.

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.

571 - Tin-Tazarift (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – Pastoral scene in white and ochre, from reddish-brown to light brown. Note the cap worn by both the man and the child following him, in the top right. It closely resembles the cap still worn by children during circumcision. The man is 0.24 m tall.

572 - Tin-Tazarift (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Seven bovids, their coats ranging from white to red.

573 - Tin-Tazarift (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Head of a bovine viewed in perspective. 0.07 m separate the ends of the two horns. This pictorial exercise is not the easiest.

574 - Tin-Tazarift (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Bovid outlined in ochre. It is "unicorned" and wears a collar.

575 - Tin-Tazarift (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Bovid painted in ochre but without revealing significant talent. From nose to hind leg: 0.18 m.

576 - Tin-Tazarift (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Two hippopotamuses painted in ochre, measuring 1.16 m from the rear end of the left one to the nostril of the right one.

577 - Tin-Tazarift (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Strange "naviform" structure. But aside from its unproven navigational ability, the archer on the right is not related to it... Only the one in the center might be a "sailor." At each end of the "structure" is an indefinable object.

591 - Tin-Teferist, near Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – The three figures painted in red ochre remind us of individuals with "dash heads", but it has already been stated that this dash is only the visible part of the head, with the rest covered by light hair, with the paint in most cases having disappeared. The "lancers" facing each other are dressed in a short tunic, tight at the waist and slightly flared at the base. The one on the left wears a sort of stole hanging from both sides of the neck. With his right hand, he holds the hand of a woman in a long tunic. The central figure is 0.55 m tall.

592 - Tiffeltest, near Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – A ruminant on the right, painted in dark ochre; at the top left, a couple in red ochre that could be a man and a woman. The most interesting feature is a quadrangular structure that could represent a dwelling. The depicted panel is 0.53 m wide. The animal on the right is 0.11 m tall.

593 - Tiffeltest, near Séfar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – This white and ochre painting brings us back to the so-called "ship-like" structures (here executed in white, showing two figures raising their arms in a hieratic posture). The fact that they are frequent along the Nile does not in any way lead to their identification with the structure depicted here or with that in Tin-Tazarift (photo 577). The maximum distance between the two tips of the structure is 0.40 m. At the top left, a mare with a foal.

594 - Tin-Kani (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – A "positive" hand missing the thumb. Above, two archers aiming to the right. Painting in ochre.

595 - Tin-Kani (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – Here we find mysterious animals painted in the Séfar style. The rendering of the shapes does not seem accidental.

596 - Tin-Kani (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – Two oxen painted in the good tradition of the bovidian era. The one on the left measures 0.17 m from the snout to the tail.

597 - Tin-Kani (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – A hunter with a bow and arrows in front of the carcass of a slain animal (?). The height of the painting is 0.16 m.

598 - Tin-Kani (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Large horned quadruped in Sefar style. The contour is painted with ochre. From the muzzle to the tail: 0.65 m in width.

599 - Tin-Kani (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Left hand in negative, obtained by projecting white paint onto the hand pressed onto the rock. Below, a hoofed animal in Sefar style painted in white lines. The eyes are rendered in flat perspective. The hand on the rock is life-size.

600 - Tin-Kani (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Two animals in Sefar style, painted in white and brown ochre. The contour of the left animal is doubled by a line formed of small arrows (>>>). Below the animal on the right, there is a small bovine. On the left, two individuals. The width of the panel depicted: 3.20 m.

601 - Tin-Kani (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Three figures from the "round heads" period in Sefar style. The one in the middle is a woman. The work was executed in white and dark brown. The figure on the left measures 0.87 m in height. Detail of photo 600.

602 - Tin-Kani (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Ox painted in red-brown, with the coat depicted by tightly spaced curved lines. Opposite, two deers are treated in white. To the right, a man in red-brown holds a stick in his hand. The width of the panel depicted: 0.82 m.

603 - In ltinen (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Right hand "positive." Life-size.

604 - In ltinen (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Three white and two black figures form, with a large cow, a beautiful pastoral scene. The central figure extends a hand towards an open crescent. Facing them, the counterpart holds an object hanging from a rope. Finally, the third figure, on the left, offers a bowl.

605 - In ltinen (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Chariot painted in dark red ochre, two horses in "flying gallop." In fact, it is the chariot that appears to be flying above the horses due to a frequent perspective error. This brings the yoke above the animals. A second axle with its wheels is located behind the chariot.

606 - In ltinen (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Two bovines and a calf (?) painted in dark ochre. The multiplicity of bovine depictions must reflect the actual importance of the herd during the great Pastoral Period. Nevertheless, it would probably be a mistake to imagine the region where it is found as the present-day Normandy. Evidence of this can be seen in the large herds of the Peuhls today.

607 - Ihérir (in the locality of Ahréné, Tassili-n'Ajjer). – Large ox painted with patterns intended to represent the coat. A comparison should be made with the bovine engraved at Tin-Terhert (photos 578 and 579).

608 - Fadnoun (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – This photo was taken next to the painted elephant presented in the introduction (photo 5). This fresco, painted in white and red ochre, is particularly vivid. It depicts men with canine-like heads, in dynamic poses. The overall scene, completed by animals, evokes a "reportage" style.

609 - Tadras n'Ellias (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – This fresco presents the difficulty of interpreting rock art, as each occupation of the site is marked by a new layer of paintings or engravings over the previous ones. One thinks one can make out engraved bovids, a large animal painted in white, a fragment of white painting in the Séfar style, figures in dark ochre... But assigning each subject to a specific era proves difficult.

610 - Alan-Edoument (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – A "flying gallop" chariot, clumsily crafted. It raises similar reflections to the one presented by the chariot of In Itinen (photo 605), though it has only one axle. Note the absence of a platform.

613 - Alan-Edoument (Tassili-n'Ajjer). – Horse painted in red ochre. The mane is indicated, and the execution is awkward. From the tail to the right front leg, the animal measures 0.25 m.

614 - Alan-Edoument (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Beautiful bovine fresco mixing herders and cattle. The large figure in the center wears a yellow loincloth. It appears to be holding its head and extending something with the left hand. The cow on the right is black, while the other animals and herders are polychrome. The panel measures 0.70 m in width.

615 - Tin-Fina on the Oued n'Tifinar (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Pastoral scene in red ochre. A few figures painted in black are barely visible. Some are standing, others seated. Many carry staffs. It is a scene from daily life that exudes a sense of peace. The panel measures 0.76 m in width.

616 - Tin-Fina (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Another pastoral scene, but this time an active one. On the right, five figures in dark ochre are dressed in the classic short tunic, which seems to be typical of men. Elsewhere, there are bovids and other figures. But at the bottom, there is a “camel” ridden by a man armed with a spear, which brings us into the Berber world. It is now accepted that the “dromedary” was introduced to Africa in the last millennium B.C. Therefore, the dromedary is a later addition. Width: 1.80 m.

617 - Tin-Fina (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Three figures in short leather tunics, similar to those shown in photo 591 taken at Tin-Teferist (Séfar). The one on the right, besides the spear (only the lower part of which remains), may be holding a bow in the left hand. A kind of halo seems to surround the head of the central figure.

618 - Oum Itouami (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - It has been said that the spiral is linked to a symbolism of water, and thus fertility. However, in this case, it seems that it was used primarily for aesthetic purposes. Width of the depiction: 0.77 m.

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.

620 - Oum Itouami (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - On the left, a man with a “dash-shaped head” holds a long stick or spear. He wears a short tunic, tightly fitting at the waist, typical of his race. In front of him, another man with lighter skin appears to be wearing a garment made of animal skin. He is running towards three oxen, which are notably rendered in brown ochre. The left figure is 0.22 m tall.

621 - Tin-Messeous (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Pastoral scene painted in brown ochre. Still the “dash-shaped heads”. Thanks to them, their costumes, their stances, and their armament, we could now write the story of their group, knowing that they themselves depicted themselves. This also applies to the “round heads,” which are well individualized and associated with beliefs that elude us. Thus, rock art represents an important part of prehistory and protohistory. Therefore, it is crucial to link the material remains to the engraved or painted works of art. Width of the depiction: 0.94 m.

622 - Tin-Messeous (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - A figure with a "dash head", whose tunic appears to be supported by straps, turning the garment into a skirt. Ochre-colored figurative painting: 0.28 m.

623 - Tin-Messeous (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - These decadent giraffes painted in red ochre can be dated through the Tifinagh characters. Width of the depicted panel: 2.20 m.

624 - Col du Tafilalet (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Third Aqba (Aqba: ascent) towards Tamrit. A slender woman, painted in red ochre, with darker arms. A part of her cloth hangs between her legs. She is in the special starting position for a "sprint". Her measurements from hands to feet: 0.60 m.

625 - Tamrit (Shelter, Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Three antelopes painted in ochre and white, one of which is facing the opposite direction. Height of horns to front hooves: 0.37 m.

626 - Region of Djanet (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - A giraffe painted in brown ochre, in a very decadent style. In the process of aridification, giraffes and ostriches survive the longest.

630 - Amguid (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Scene of a "butchery" painted in red ochre. A beast is on its back, with a kneeling figure behind it, extending its arms forward. In front, two figures can be seen in positions that are difficult to describe. Such scenes are very rare.

631 - Oued Mertoutek (Hoggar). - At the top, two pairs of figures with "dash-shaped heads." The central one is sometimes called "the guitarist," though this, of course, is unverified. This painting, in brown ochre and white, also shows animals rendered entirely in white. Below, there are two groups of two individuals and one isolated figure. At the very bottom, a little devil (?) in red ochre (Photo: Jörg Eberl).

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

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