In an area such as the Sahara where cultural remains are often scarce, rock art is an important source of information and can provide a crucial insight into the past. A rich heritage of rock engravings documents the Holocene evolution of prehistoric groups in the Fezzan.

Since the Holocene, climate in the Sahara has been characterised by significant fluctuations alternating between wet phases and periods of hyperaridity. For the last 12000 years, until the end of the last of the Saharan wet phases about 3000 years ago, seasonal and perennial springs and even shallow lakes existed intermittently. These water sources have been exploited by humans throughout prehistory and have at times sustained extensive human settlement and a wealth of endemic fauna. Large wild animals such as giraffe, ostrich, elephant, rhinoceros, antelope, and even crocodile and hippopotamus, as well as camel and cattle were frequently depicted in rock carvings. These images are one of the key sources of information we have about the prehistoric occupation of the area and the developing relationships between human groups and their environment.

Wadi al-Ajal rock art project

The wealth of data collected in archaeological and palaeoenvironmental surveys in recent years (namely the Fezzan Archaeological Project, an interdisciplinerary project directed by Professor David Mattingly; and the Fezzan Rock Art project, directed by Dr Tertia Barnett) offers an opportunity to study the rock art in its environmental context. With the help of GIS (Geographical Information Systems) the rock art sites can be mapped according to chronological criteria. Each period can then be correlated with environmental data and set in relation to the distribution of springs and lakes that were available at the time. This presents an opportunity to clarify whether rock art sites were more frequently placed close to water sources at times of climatic stress. Since these water sources undoubtedly will have formed focal points for animal populations, the analysis will also focus on the relationship between rock engravings and animal habitats or animal trails, and will investigate whether rock art sites potentially played a role as hunting or lookout points. Additionally, data from pollen records and soil surveys can be included in order to reconstruct vegetation patterns and potential animal habitats for the various climate phases.

A combination of archaeological and paleoenvironmental data will provide new insight into the changing relationships between prehistoric cultures in the Sahara and their environment, and a better understanding as to how it was being used and perceived by human groups over time, during a period of climatic instability.