Dabous giraffes

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The dabous giraffes in Niger

The Dabous giraffes are life-size rock engravings of two giraffes in the Sahara from the Neolithic Age .

The giraffes

The engravings are located on the beveled top of a sandstone block about 15 m high and cannot be seen from the ground. The larger, male giraffe has a height of 5.4 m from the horns to the hooves and is one of the largest such rock engravings in the world. The age is estimated to be 8,000 years.

The specialty of the giraffes is their high level of detail and the preservation of proportions. In both giraffes, an engraved line leads from the head to a small human figure. There are several interpretations of the meaning of this motif. However, it cannot be ruled out that these parts were added later.

Location and surroundings

Smaller rock engravings near the dabous giraffes

The rock engravings are located in the Ténéré on the edge of the Aïr Mountains in Niger , about 110 km north of Agadez and only a few kilometers off the Trans-Saharan route . There are hundreds of other rock engravings nearby, but they are much smaller. There are also remains of petrified wood .

Protective measures

In 1999, copies of the engravings were made, which can be viewed at Agadez Airport, among other places. Another copy is held by the National Geographic Society in Washington, DC

In 2000, Dabous' rock engravings were added to the World Monuments Watch list of the 100 Most Endangered Cultural Monuments.

literature

  • Alec Campbell, David Coulson: The Dabous Giraffes Project, Niger in The Diggin Stick Vol. 16, No. 1 , April 1999, ISSN  1013-7521

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Ancient Masterpieces found in the Sahara. Archaeological Institute of America, October 19, 1998, accessed August 15, 2019 .
  2. ↑ The World's Largest Rock Art Petroglyph. Bradshaw Foundation, accessed August 15, 2019 .
  3. ^ Dabous, Niger. The British Museum, accessed August 18, 2019 .
  4. ^ Saving Ancient Rock Art in Niger . (PDF) US Department of State. Retrieved May 1, 2015
  5. ↑ Alec Campbell & David Coulson: THE DABOUS GIRAFFES PROJECT, NIGER. (PDF) The South African Archaeological Society, April 1999, accessed September 1, 2018 .
  6. ^ Giraffe Petroglyphs National Science Foundation. Retrieved October 19, 2014
  7. ↑ Giraffe Rock Art Site . World Monuments Fund. Retrieved March 24, 2013.

Coordinates: 18 ° 1 ′ 49 ″  N , 7 ° 34 ′ 50 ″  E