Photo Gallery

Wadi Mathendous. In Habeter III - On the edge of the Mathendous river valley, you will find this cliff with very beautiful naturalistic engravings from the Bubalin period depicting giraffes and an elephant. The fractures in the rock are sometimes recent. They then damage the figures. Sometimes they are old and the artist has taken them into account. Height of the giraffe from the hooves to the end of the horn: 2.25 m. - Libya - 1969

When one realises with what simple means this masterpiece was executed, one can only marvel. This giraffe painted with red ochre is truly amazing. In addition, the work, which was created in a shelter, does not receive any direct light. Size 43 cm. Algeria - Tadrart - In Djaren - 1993

19 - Oued Tafidet (Aïr). - Giraffes from the so-called Pastoral Period. Compare with other schematic giraffes from the Horse Period found at Tagueït bas. Height of the left giraffe: 1 m.

21 - Tagueït bas (Aïr). - Pastoral Period? It is difficult to associate these giraffes with those from Oued Tafidet: their attribution to one style or another is difficult.

24 - Tagueït bas (Aïr). - End of the Pastoral Period. Five highly stylized giraffes. From the head to the base of the legs of the largest giraffe: 0.95 m.

25 - Tagueït bas (Aïr). - Pastoral period. In the Sahel, near domesticated cattle, giraffes are not rare. Their abundance should therefore not be surprising. Remember the crumbly nature of the rocks in the Air mountains. Height of the large giraffe: 0.65 m.

27 - Tagueït bas (Aïr). - Note the difference in style between the first three giraffes on the right and the two preceding them, and finally the one on the extreme left. The supporting block is 2.20 m wide. The rock is located at the top of a rockslide.

28 - Tagueït bas (Aïr). - Stippled giraffe and ostriches on a rockslide. Height of the rock: 0.50 m.

33 - Tagueït moyen (Aïr). - Current or sub-current giraffe. Note the right-angled tail, the straight spine, and the gender still emphasized. Height: 0.32 m.

35 - Tagueït haut (Aïr). - Giraffes, bovids, rhinoceroses, and ostriches intertwine and overlap in this fresco, where wild species seem to dominate.

36 - Tagueït medium (Aïr). – Note the difference in patina between the two giraffes on the left, which are themselves overlain by a newer giraffe with an appendage around the neck. The hind legs are too long, like those of the two giraffes on the right. Note the isolated rhinoceros at the top, as well as the chariot, which highlights the historical character of the work engraved in "flat". The chariot's platform is not visible; finally, a lion (?) catches the attention. Chariot length: 0.52 m.

37 - Tagueït high (Aïr). – Enlargement of the belly pattern of the central giraffe in the next image. Note the combined use of punctuating and line drawing. Width of the detail: 0.35 m.

38 - Tagueït high (Aïr). – This giraffe fresco, remarkable for the work of punctuating and line engraving it required, does not date from the same period as the two figures, one of which is an archer leading the herd, and which seem much later. The main animals measure between 0.60 m and 0.80 m. The rock itself is 2.40 m long.

Maximilien Bruggmann photographing the giraffe fresco in Tagueït.

42 - Tagueït high (Aïr). – Fresco depicting giraffes, an elephant, ostriches, and an ox. The important site of Tagueït does not offer any truly ancient engravings. The wildlife is still significant, but the arrival of foreign ethnic groups often makes it difficult to attribute them to a specific culture.

43 - Tanakom (Aïr). – Typical labyrinth showing the advanced peeling state of the rock in Aïr. The overhanging rock to the right, covering the slanted line in the foreground, is covered with beautiful engravings.

44 - Tanakom (Aïr). – Herd of bovines led by a shepherd. On the side, one animal is ridden, another followed by a shepherd. Work from the late pastoral period. The slab is 2.15 m long.

45 - Tanakom (Aïr). - From the same period: giraffes, ostrich, shepherd touching a bovine. The engravers were interested in all smooth surfaces.

46 - Tanakom (Aïr). - Still giraffes. Their number can be explained either by the engravers' interest or by their diversity. These are very well observed. Slab height: 0.45 m.

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

48 - Tanakom (Aïr). - Decadent giraffes. The largest measures 0.85 m in height.

50 - Tanakom (Aïr). - Giraffes, graffiti. Width of the decorated surface: 1.20 m.

62 - Arakao (Aïr). - A large giraffe (from the tip of the tail to the snout: 0.61 m). The punctuated pattern, which usually indicates the color of the garment, is replaced by lines.

70 - Dabous (Western Aïr). - Animal fresco: giraffe, goats (?) etc. Note the deep lines of the engraving, despite the "equine" appearance of the giraffe, which measures 1.15 meters from the nostrils to the tail.

73 - Dabous (Western Aïr). - Rare and very beautiful giraffe head. The snout, horns, and ears are polished. The mane is highlighted. This giraffe is reproduced in its entirety in photo 74. Note the rope hanging from the snout...

74 - Dabous (Western Aïr). - Remarkable pair of giraffes with great anatomical precision that can be attributed to the beautiful naturalist era. The left giraffe, from the hind hoof to the head: 5.80 m, and the right one, also with a rope hanging from the nostrils, 3.02 m from the head to the tail's end.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

138 - Oued Mathendous. In Habeter III. - As at Enneri Blaka, there are cliffs along the edges of river valleys. Very beautiful naturalistic engravings from the Bubaline period depicting giraffes and an elephant. The cracks in the rock are sometimes recent, which damages the depictions. Sometimes they are old, and the artist took this into account. Height of the giraffe, from the hooves to the tips of the horns: 2.25 m.

139 - Oued Mathendous. In Habeter III. - Enlarged detail of the previous engraving.

140 - Oued Mathendous. In Habeter III. - Giraffes engraved with continuous, regular, and deep lines. Bubaline period. A smaller, unfinished giraffe precedes them on the right. At the top left: recently etched bovine.

150 - Oued Mathendous. In Habeter III. - Period of the "bubale". A large giraffe, appearing massive but with precise anatomy. Engraving with deep and regular strokes. Below, a very schematic ostrich, perhaps later. Its presumed head is adjacent to a depiction of a trap. The circle above might be a representation of a jellyfish. The "trap" has a diameter of 0.63 m.

156 - Oued Mathendous. ln Habeter III. - Period of the "bubale." Two naturalistic giraffes. At the back of the left giraffe, a more recent human figure is seen as if mating with the giraffe.

159 - Oued Mathendous. ln Habeter III. - Two giraffes and two bovids engraved on a vertical rocky surface at the edge of the Oued. From the lowest legs of the large bovine to the head of the giraffes: 1.32 m.

165 - Oued Mathendous. ln Habeter III. - Detail of photo 167 showing a small figure at the back of the giraffe holding its tail. Engraving from the same period. Another figure is masked by the giraffe's legs and carries a bow (?).

166 - Oued Mathendous. ln Galgien. - Two giraffes with traces of internal polishing. The second animal is accompanied by a calf.

167 - Oued Mathendous. ln Habeter III. - The giraffes, whose detail is shown in photo 165. Height of the giraffe from the neck to the hoof: 1 m.

168 - Oued Mathendous. In Habeter III. - Giraffe drinking. This representation is very rare. The front legs are spread apart.

180 - Oued Mathendous. In Habeter II. - Three giraffes, including one calf. The coat is depicted with scalariform patterns. The giraffe on the right measures 1.08 m from hoof to the tips of the horns.

196 - Oued Mathendous. In Habeter II. - Giraffe drawn after L. Frobénius. Note the circle enclosing the origin of the neck. The drawing of the legs is awkward.

197 - Oued Mathendous. In Habeter II. - Detail of the head from the previous drawing.

198 - Oued Mathendous. In Habeter III. - Giraffe engraved with a deep line and a highly stylized head, reminiscent of the style of the painter Chirico. Height of the animal: 1.30 m.

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.”

219 - Tadrart Acacous. Oued Kessan. – Three well-observed giraffes engraved by puncturing and fine lines. Width of the panel: 1.33 m.

223 - Tadrart Acacous. Tin-Achigh. – Beautiful giraffe finely engraved. At the bottom left, possibly a monkey and a figure difficult to identify. The whole is overloaded with horse epoch graffiti. Width of the depicted panel: 0.71 m.

224 - Tadrart Acacous. Tin-Achigh. – Two giraffes in a decadent style, completely dotted on the inside. To the left, the head and horn of a rhinoceros. To the right of the giraffe, a schematic and poorly engraved “diabolo” figure. Tifinar characters. Informal graffiti. Width of the depicted panel: 1.60 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.

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.

276 - Region of Merem. - A hooved animal on the left, and two giraffes on the right. The mane is exaggeratedly long. Notice that the use of the rock surface is maximized with the giraffe on the right. From the giraffe’s ears to the tips of its legs: 0.77 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.

287 - El Beridj (Tadrart). - Bubaline age engravings, but very difficult to read. The anatomical precision is quite remarkable here. Five bovid species are identified, and on the right, a later depiction of a giraffe. Width of the panel: 4 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.

318 - Bou Ediane (Tadrart, Guelta). – Two well-preserved spotted giraffes. Their tails are curled. The body is entirely dotted. The front legs are in the drinking position of a giraffe. A horn on the front hoof of the left animal: 0.95 m.

320 - Tin Abedine (Tadrart). – To the left, a man holding a pot, followed by three giraffes going in the same direction as him. The giraffes and the man are beginning to sink seriously into the sand. From the horn of the right giraffe to the level of the sand: about 1.70 m.

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

356 - Oued Djérat (Tassili-n'Ajjer, between Tin-Smad and the confluence of the Oued Touloult). - Ox - fat, with short legs and a massive body. The head, however, is quite normal, and at the neck, a collar ends with a long pendant. On the right, the rear of another "fat" ox is visible, and beneath it, an elegant giraffe deeply engraved.

374 - Oued Djérat (Tassili-n'Ajjer) – Magnificent engraved giraffe head. The outline, initially dotted, was finished with a smoothing stone. The interior was decorated with dotted lines.

375 - Oued Djérat (Tassili-n'Ajjer, Tin-Smad). - Full body of the Tin-Smad giraffe, whose head is the subject of the previous photo (374). In fact, the body is less well rendered by the engraver than the head.

376 - Oued Djérat (Tassili-n'Ajjer, Tin-Smad region). - Other giraffes engraved with different coats. At the top right, a dressed and bent figure.

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.

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.

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

588 - Tin-Terhert (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Three giraffes eating foliage above them, thus with their heads raised. Height of the giraffes: 0.80 m.

589 - Tin-Terhert (Tassili-n'Ajjer). - Engraved head of a giraffe. The depicted section is 0.41 m wide.

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.

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.

656 - Gonoa (Tibesti). - On a beautiful fresco of eight finely engraved giraff. Above, a punctuated bovine, later in date. Inside the bovine, there is an inexplicable structure. The very small man standing in front of the first giraffe, on the left, measures 0.14 m in height.

658 - Gonoa (Tibesti). - Beautiful naturalistic engravings of giraffes, with artistic rendering of the animals’ fur. From the hump of the back of the giraffe on the right to its hind legs: 1.16 m.

660 - Gonoa (Tibesti). - Giraffes engraved with long, fine lines. The insides of the legs and heads are polished. The legs of the animal on the right are oversized. A small figure and various animals are visible between the two giraffes. From the hump of the back of the largest giraffe to the level of the legs: 0.94 m.