Discover the rock art of the Sahara!
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ROCK ART
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO DISCOVER TODAY?
DEFINITION
The term "Rock Art" refers to engravings and paintings from prehistoric, protohistoric, or historic periods, executed on rocks, whether they are rock shelters, boulders, cliffs, caves…
HISTORY
Fascinated by the rock art images they discovered while traveling through the Sahara and more broadly North Africa, 19th-century travelers sensed their antiquity long before the notion of Prehistory was widely accepted. Those who succeeded them to this day have continuously enriched the documentation and studied these remains to shed light on our past. Discover the history of Saharan archaeological research!
METHODS
Beyond their potential aesthetic interest, pre- and proto-historic rock paintings and engravings are archaeological remains that can inform us about the societies that created them; this is true of all other remains related to human presence and activity.
STATE OF KNOWLEDGE
Saharan rock images continue to amaze us, even though we are still far from understanding their chronology, origin, and context. Nevertheless, after several phases of research over the decades, a scenario that is refined with each new discovery can be proposed.
OVERVIEW OF SITES
In the Sahara, rock paintings and engravings number in the hundreds of thousands. They are found almost everywhere they could be created and subsequently preserved from environmental or anthropogenic destruction. An overview of different rock art sites known to date will be presented to you over time.
PROTECTION
While Saharan rock paintings and engravings have certainly survived for millennia, they remain extremely fragile. Beyond the protection rules established by the countries concerned, their preservation is the responsibility of every traveler who comes to admire them.
The term “Rock Art” refers to engravings and paintings from prehistoric, protohistoric, or historic periods, executed on rocks, whether they are rock shelters, boulders, cliffs, caves
Fascinated by the rock art images they discovered while traveling through the Sahara and more broadly North Africa, 19th-century travelers sensed their antiquity long before the notion of Prehistory was widely accepted. Those who succeeded them to this day have continuously enriched the documentation and studied these remains to shed light on our past. Discover the history of Saharan archaeological research!
Beyond their potential aesthetic interest, pre- and proto-historic rock paintings and engravings are archaeological remains that can inform us about the societies that created them; this is true of all other remains related to human presence and activity.
Saharan rock images continue to amaze us, even though we are still far from understanding their chronology, origin, and context. Nevertheless, after several phases of research over the decades, a scenario that is refined with each new discovery can be proposed.
In the Sahara, rock paintings and engravings number in the hundreds of thousands. They are found almost everywhere they could be created and subsequently preserved from environmental or anthropogenic destruction. An overview of different rock art sites known to date will be presented to you over time.
While Saharan rock paintings and engravings have certainly survived for millennia, they remain extremely fragile. Beyond the protection rules established by the countries concerned, their preservation is the responsibility of every traveler who comes to admire them.
WHO ARE WE?
Because rock art is a heritage without borders, our association aims to welcome enthusiasts from around the world. Our annual Meetings allow everyone to present their observations and studies on the rock art of the Sahara and North Africa. In parallel, our annual journal, Les Cahiers de l’AARS, the only one in the world specialized in this field, makes available to all the documentation established by our members and the analyses derived from it. Whether we are travelers or researchers, we are committed to raising awareness of this archaeological heritage, its richness, and the importance of preserving it.
JOIN US
Curious or passionate, amateurs or researchers, come join us to discover, exchange, and share about Saharan rock art.