Sahara Africa Africa Rock Art Bradshaw Foundation
Sahara Africa Africa Rock Art Bradshaw Foundation
Sahara Africa Africa Rock Art Bradshaw Foundation
The Sahara
Exhibition at the Origins Centre in Johannesburg
15 July - 15 October 2014

Niger Africa Dabous Petroglyph Carving Prehistoric Agadez Bradshaw Foundation
Exploring the vast Sahara desert through the lens of its archaeological past, this exciting new exhibition is bringing the various cultural facets of time and space to life. The largest desert in the world, the Sahara resides over 9 million square kilometres; take a journey from the origins of the desert to the cultures still living in the Sahara today. Exhibition curator Scott Mallen states that "we can do all sorts of things to try and control the elements, but the Sahara has never been tamed." And yet despite this, cultures have left indelible marks - works of art, painted and carved, representing beliefs and values of cultures past and present, including the world's largest animal petroglyph, the Dabous giraffe carvings of Niger.

Jean Clottes Rock Art Niger Africa
Dr Jean Clottes
Is a world-renown archaeologist and rock art authority, whose research interests include not only matters of archaeological context and dating but also problems of epistemology and meaning.
The two life size giraffe carved at Dabous in Niger are one of the finest examples of ancient rock art in the world. Because of their artistic significance and placement within a palaeo-African context of a greener Sahara, the Bradshaw Foundation carried out a project of preservation, under the auspices of UNESCO, to ensure the carvings would be protected for future generations.

An aluminium cast of the Dabous Giraffe was donated to Niger subsequently, and placed in Agadez, the small desert town nearest to the Dabous site, in the hope of encouraging the preservation of rock art sites as well as generating an eco-tourism for the region. The preservation project allowed the Bradshaw team to further explore this part of the Sahara, the Tenere Desert, with the eminent French prehistorian Dr. Jean Clottes, where numerous examples of rock art and archaeological artefacts were discovered.

After the moulding of the big giraffes had been successfully carried out in 1999, Jean Clottes suggested a complete the recording of the engravings in the Dabous ensemble, because they provided their context. In 1999, he had completed the map of the Dabous sandstone outcrop, with the help of his wife Renee. Working in two teams (David Coulson and Alec Campbell on one hand, Renee and Jean on the other) they also recordeded 430 engravings and filled as many descriptive forms. It is reckoned - 1999 - that the Dabous could number about 600 petroglyphs in all.

Sahara Gallery
Photographs from the Great Desert

Bradshaw Foundation Rock Art Africa African Sahara Tuareg Gallery Great Desert Photos Photographs Archaeology
Tuareg
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Bradshaw Foundation Rock Art Africa African Sahara Gallery Great Desert Photos Photographs Archaeology
Scalloped Dunes
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Bradshaw Foundation Rock Art Africa African Sahara Gallery Great Tenere Desert Photos Photographs Archaeology
Tenere Desert
© Bradshaw Foundation
 
Bradshaw Foundation Rock Art Africa African Sahara Gallery Great Tenere Desert Photos Photographs Archaeology
Tenere Desert
© Bradshaw Foundation
 
Bradshaw Foundation Rock Art Africa African Sahara Gallery Tuareg Great Desert Photos Photographs Archaeology
Tuareg
© Bradshaw Foundation
 
Bradshaw Foundation Rock Art Africa African Sahara Gallery Tuareg Village Great Desert Photos Photographs Archaeology
Tuareg Village
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Bradshaw Foundation Rock Art Africa African Sahara Gallery Tuareg Encampment Great Desert Photos Photographs Archaeology
Tuareg Encampment
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Bradshaw Foundation Rock Art Africa African Sahara Gallery Tuareg Tam Tam Celebration Great Desert Photos Photographs Archaeology
Tam Tam Celebration
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Bradshaw Foundation Rock Art Africa African Sahara Gallery Agadez Great Desert Photos Photographs Archaeology
Agadez
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Bradshaw Foundation Rock Art Africa African Sahara Gallery Tuareg Great Desert Photos Photographs Archaeology
Tuareg
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Bradshaw Foundation Rock Art Africa African Sahara Gallery Tuareg Trade Route Great Desert Photos Photographs Archaeology
Tuareg Trade Route
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Bradshaw Foundation Rock Art Africa African Sahara Gallery Agadez Niger Great Desert Photos Photographs Archaeology
Agadez
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Bradshaw Foundation Rock Art Africa African Sahara Gallery Dabous Site with Guide Great Desert Photos Photographs Archaeology
Dabous Site with Guide
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Bradshaw Foundation Rock Art Africa African Sahara Gallery Dabous Giraffe Detail Great Desert Photos Photographs Archaeology
Dabous Giraffe Detail
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Bradshaw Foundation Rock Art Africa African Sahara Gallery Damage Great Desert Photos Photographs Archaeology
Damage
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Bradshaw Foundation Rock Art Africa African Sahara Gallery Dabous Site with Guide Great Desert Photos Photographs Archaeology
Dabous Site with Guide
© Bradshaw Foundation
 
Bradshaw Foundation Rock Art Africa African Sahara Gallery Dabous Site Great Desert Photos Photographs Archaeology
Dabous Site
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Bradshaw Foundation Rock Art Africa African Sahara Gallery Niger Petroglyphs Petroglyph Great Desert Photos Photographs Archaeology
Niger Petroglyphs
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Bradshaw Foundation Rock Art Africa African Sahara Gallery Niger Petroglyphs Petroglyph Great Desert Photos Photographs Archaeology
Niger Petroglyphs
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Bradshaw Foundation Rock Art Africa African Sahara Gallery Algeria Great Desert Photos Photographs Archaeology
Algeria Rock Art
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Bradshaw Foundation Rock Art Africa African Sahara Gallery Niger Great Desert Photos Photographs Archaeology
Niger Rock Art
© Bradshaw Foundation
 
Bradshaw Foundation Rock Art Africa African Sahara Gallery Niger Great Desert Photos Photographs Archaeology
Niger Rock Art
© Bradshaw Foundation
 
Bradshaw Foundation Rock Art Africa African Sahara Gallery Libya Petroglyphs Petroglyph Great Desert Photos Photographs Archaeology
Libya Petroglyphs
© Bradshaw Foundation
 
Bradshaw Foundation Rock Art Africa African Sahara Gallery Libya Petroglyphs Petroglyph Great Desert Photos Photographs Archaeology
Libya Petroglyphs
© Bradshaw Foundation
Bradshaw Foundation Rock Art Africa African Sahara Gallery Dabous Site Niger Great Desert Photos Photographs Archaeology
Dabous Site
© Bradshaw Foundation
 
Bradshaw Foundation Rock Art Africa African Sahara Gallery Pottery Great Desert Photos Photographs Archaeology
Pottery
© Bradshaw Foundation
 
Bradshaw Foundation Rock Art Africa African Sahara Gallery Arrow Heads Great Desert Photos Photographs Archaeology
Arrow Heads
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Bradshaw Foundation Rock Art Africa African Sahara Gallery Dabous Site Great Desert Photos Photographs Archaeology
Dabous Site
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Bradshaw Foundation Rock Art Africa African Sahara Gallery Tuareg Trader Great Desert Photos Photographs Archaeology
Tuareg Trader
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Bradshaw Foundation Rock Art Africa African Sahara Gallery Agadez Airport Great Desert Photos Photographs Archaeology
Agadez Airport
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Bradshaw Foundation Rock Art Africa African Sahara Gallery Giraffe Cast Agadez Airport Great Desert Photos Photographs Archaeology
Giraffe Cast - Agadez Airport
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Bradshaw Foundation Rock Art Africa African Algeria Sahara Gallery Great Desert Photos Photographs Archaeology
Algeria
© Bradshaw Foundation
 
Bradshaw Foundation Rock Art Africa African Sahara Gallery Sudan Great Desert Photos Photographs Archaeology
Sudan
© Bradshaw Foundation
 
Bradshaw Foundation Rock Art Africa African Sahara Gallery Libya Great Desert Photos Photographs Archaeology
Libya
© Bradshaw Foundation
 
Bradshaw Foundation Rock Art Africa African Sahara Gallery Algeria Great Desert Photos Photographs Archaeology
Algeria
© Bradshaw Foundation
 
Bradshaw Foundation Rock Art Africa African Sahara Gallery Algeria Great Desert Photos Photographs Archaeology
Algeria
© Bradshaw Foundation
Bradshaw Foundation Goats Rock Art Africa African Sahara Gallery Great Desert Photos Photographs Archaeology
Goats
© Bradshaw Foundation
 
Bradshaw Foundation Rock Art Africa African Sahara Gallery Snake Great Desert Photos Photographs Archaeology
Snake
© Bradshaw Foundation
 
Bradshaw Foundation Rock Art Africa African Sahara Gallery Gecko Great Desert Photos Photographs Archaeology
Gecko
© Bradshaw Foundation
 
Bradshaw Foundation Rock Art Africa African Sahara Gallery Gazelle Great Desert Photos Photographs Archaeology
Gazelle
© Bradshaw Foundation
 
Bradshaw Foundation Rock Art Africa African Sahara Gallery Cattle Great Desert Photos Photographs Archaeology
Cattle
© Bradshaw Foundation
 
Bradshaw Foundation Rock Art Africa African Sahara Gallery Scorpion Great Desert Photos Photographs Archaeology
Scorpion
© Bradshaw Foundation
Bradshaw Foundation Goat HerdersRock Art Africa African Sahara Gallery Great Desert Photos Photographs Archaeology
Goat Herders
© Bradshaw Foundation
 
Bradshaw Foundation Rock Art Africa African Sahara Gallery Gecko Great Desert Photos Photographs Archaeology
Gecko
© Bradshaw Foundation
 
Bradshaw Foundation Cattle Rock Art Africa African Sahara Gallery Great Desert Photos Photographs Archaeology
Cattle
© Bradshaw Foundation
 
Bradshaw Foundation Rock Art Africa African Sahara Gallery Figures Great Desert Photos Photographs Archaeology
Figures
© Bradshaw Foundation
 
Bradshaw Foundation Rock Art Africa African Sahara Gallery Fighting Cats Great Desert Photos Photographs Archaeology
Fighting Cats
© Bradshaw Foundation
 
Bradshaw Foundation Rock Art Figures Africa African Sahara Gallery Great Desert Photos Photographs Archaeology
Figures
© Bradshaw Foundation

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→ The Rock Art of Twyfelfontein /Ui- //aes, Namibia
→ The Damara People
→ Reflecting Back: 40 Years Since ‘A Survey of the Rock Art in the Natal Drakensberg’ Project (1978-1981)
→ Animals in Rock Art
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