The archaeological sites of Wadi Mathendous in the Sahara desert

11 October 2007 

Our today excursion in the heart of the Sahara requires a trekking inside the bed of an ancient dried river, where beautiful archaeological findings (including rock paintings and carving) dated about 8000 years ago were discovered.

We leave the sand dunes of Murzuk, driving to the archaeological site of Wadi Mathendous.
Canyon in the Sahara desert
Canyon in the Sahara desert Canyon in the Sahara desert, Libya
The archaeologial site is located into a bed of a dried river, in the middle of a desolate flat of black stones. We trek inside the canyon for about 5 kilometers.
Canyon in the Sahara desert, Libya
The graffiti are located on the canyon's wall, in three main sites about 4km from each other.
Graffiti in the Sahara desert, Libya Graffiti in the Sahara desert, Libya
Graffiti in the Sahara desert, Libya Graffiti in the Sahara desert, Libya
Graffiti in the Sahara desert, Libya Graffiti in the Sahara desert, Libya
Graffiti in the Sahara desert, Libya Graffiti in the Sahara desert, Libya
Graffiti representing giraffes, elephants, hippos and egyptian cats with big ears. The style of these cats may indicate that this place was populated by egyptian's ancestors, migrated towards east in today's Egypt, because of the extending desert.
We continue to trek inside the bed of the dried river.
Graffiti in the Sahara desert, Libya Graffiti in the Sahara desert, Libya
Graffiti in the Sahara desert, Libya


I reach the last archaeological site inside Mathendous, where the most famous graffiti are present. Above: a men killing a rhino, a giraffe and, below, giant cats.



Once out from Mathendous, we drive back to Murzuk, to set our camp on the sand dunes.


Me taking pictures of the sunset. Picture by Federico.
Some cloud makes the today's sunset very nice.

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