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Bovidian - Pastoral |
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Paintings
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These works are stylistically very varied. This results either from
their very wide geographical distribution, or from an important
socio-cultural evolution of the groups of herders who adapted their
life-style to the changing environmental conditions. In addition, this
stylistic variability could have been influenced by the migrations of
the different ethnic groups which followed each other on the same
territory at different periods.
Mori (1998,
2000), in the Acacus, identifies three successive phases, either for
paintings or engravings:
Uan Tabu herders.
Acacus - Libya.
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Recent Pastoral:
Herders of Ti-n-Anneuin and Ti-n-Lalan -
lanky herders probably of Nilo-Chamitic origin.
Ti-n-Anneuin herders.
Acacus - Libya.
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Early and Middle Pastoral:
Pastoral of Uan Tabu - herders probably of sub-equatorial origin.
Pastoral of Uan Amil - Mediterranean herders.
Uan Amil herders.
Acacus - Libya. |
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Muzzolini (1989, 1995) identified the following schools (listed
in chronological order from the oldest to the most recent) in
the Tassili-n-Ajjer, which he then partially extended to the
Acacus: Sefar-Ozanaré: flat-tinted paintings with characters
displaying "negroid" features.
This school is more or less contemporary with the Round Heads
and the Bubaline.
Abaniora: paintings generally flat-tinted with people sometimes
looking like today's Fulani
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Abaniora people .
Abaniora - Tassili de Tamrit - Algeria.
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Sefar-Ozanaré hunter
. Sefar - Tassili de Tamrit - Algeria.
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Iheren-Tahilahi: outlined paintings (sometimes
the interior surface is marked by a light-coloured
flat-tint), showing people with "Europoid" features,
often armed with javelins. According to Muzzolini, this
style corresponds to that of Mori's Uan Amil.
Herders of Ti-n-Anneuin:
Muzzolini keeps Mori's definition, notes that this style
is as frequent in the northern Tassili as in the Acacus,
and remarks that it corresponds to the transition
towards the Caballine period.
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Herder of
Ti-n-Anneuin.
W. Kessan - Acacus - Libya. |
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Iheren-Tahilahi
humans. Tahilahi - Tassili central - Algeria. . |
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Gravures |
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Basically, engravings don't have the same stylistic variability
as paintings : the latter allow the representation of fine
detail, something that is impossible for engravings on rocky
surfaces.
According to Mori, who limits his considerations to theAcacus,
the classification of the pastoral paintings can be extended to
the engravings.
Muzzolini incorporates the "Tazina", or schematic bubaline
style, in the pre-Caballine engravings. The distribution zone of
these engravings is almost the same as that of the bubaline and
covers nearly all the Sahara. |
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Shepherd followed by
a goat. Engraving classified by Mori in the Middle Pastoral period. Wadi
Imha - Acacus - Libya
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Bovid in Tazina style
followed by two people engraved in a different style, probably more
recent. El Awrer - Messak - Libya
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Last
update of this website
28/05/10
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