Animal engravings in the central Sahara: A proxy of a proxy

Abstract

The rock art of the central Sahara was created out of the beliefs, traditions and experiences of the engravers and painters. The animal engravings of the Wadi al-Ajal in south-western Libya are used to isolate some of the environmental and cultural/symbolic components that make up the pictorial record. A comparison between the depicted animals and the faunal remains recovered in the area identifies a number of characteristics. The engraving repertoire is dominated by a small number of frequently depicted animals that were of symbolic or economic importance to the engravers. Rare and singular depicted species extend this record to a diverse species spectrum. Although a preferential depiction of herbivores is evident in the data, there is a close match between faunal record and engravings which shows that all larger animals (over ca. 10 kg) that were present in the area were also depicted. The selection of animals in the rock art appears to reflect their visibility in the landscape while also providing a record of changing climatic conditions from savanna to desert habitats. The rock art therefore provides an indirect record of the local environment while also capturing the engravers' perception of animals and landscape.