Recorded in 1987 by French archaeologist Christian Dupuy, two remarkable life-size depictions of giraffes were engraved on the weathered surface of a sandstone outcrop in north-eastern Niger. The animals cannot be seen from ground level; they are only visible by climbing onto the boulder.
They are thought to date from between 6,000 and 8,000 years ago, to a period known as the Neolithic Subpluvial, when environmental conditions were much wetter and the Sahara was a vast savannah capable of sustaining large mammals such as giraffe. And, of course, humans.
The engravings reveal a sophisticated artist who utilized multiple techniques including scraping, smoothing and deep engraving of the outlines. This was not the first fumblings of an amateur, but someone who had been taught techniques, and was part of a larger artistic tradition. A systematic study of the area has identified 828 further engravings, including 704 animal forms, 61 human forms, and 17 inscriptions of Tifinâgh script.
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