Prehistoric Rock Art Research in the Western Desert of Egypt Heiko Riemer, University of Cologne, Germany During the most recent past there has been Introduction an enormous increase in the discovery of new rock art sites in the Western Desert, The following paper will focus on two aspects: which goes along with the growing tourism First, it will argue from the most recent de- in this area. However, in contrast to this, velopment as to why rock art research in the Egyptian rock art in the Western Desert has Western Desert is a desideratum and therefore not been properly recognized as a rich and most pressing in any future perspectives of important archive by specialists in the field professional archaeological work in this area. of rock art research. This does not mean This aspect is the major conclusion of the pa- that surveys on rock art do not exist from per, but stands at the beginning, as it introdu- the area west of the Nile, but the Western ces the state of art that forms the basis of any Desert rock art is generally less well-studied overview in the fi eld of rock art research. Se- than the vivid rock paintings of the central cond, the paper will introduce what we know Sahara or the depictions of the Eastern De- about Western Desert rock art viewed from ar- sert and the Nubian Nile Valley. What can chaeological research that aims at the recons- be summarized about the present state in truction of cultural chronologies and socio- rock art research is a frame of reference, in economic developments during the Holocene. particular in chronology, evidenced from This is not an overview sensu stricto, as it is pri- investigations in the climatic development marily based on the results of two long-lasting and settlement history of the Western De- research projects of the University of Cologne sert during the past decades. The intention namely, B.O.S. from the 1980s (“Settlement his- of this paper is, however, not only to present tory of the Eastern Sahara”) and the ACACIA a brief overview of this groundwork, but to sub-project “Settlement history and climatic stress the urgent need of professional and development between the Nile Valley and the systematic studies in rock art research. Central Sahara” between 1995 and 2007. Res- tricting this paper to only these two large-scale projects ultimately could have led to the dan- n°19 - janvier 2009 ● ARCHÉO-NIL 31 Heiko Riemer ger of subjectivism, by possibly ignoring other starting with Kemal el Din during his 1925 and valuable projects that conducted research in 1926 campaigns. The highest peaks of discove- the Western Desert. However, the approach of red sites per year are to be found in years where B.O.S. and ACACIA was to view the Western the earliest expeditions devoted to archaeology Desert settlement history as a whole, focussing set off to the Gilf Kebir and Ouenat: the DIAFE on a large geographical area, and referring to 11 in 1933 (German Central-African Research rock art as being part of a more extended cor- expedition) by Frobenius, Rhotert, and Almásy pus of cultural expressions. This should be a (Rhotert 1952); and the Sir Robert Mond De- good starting point for an evaluation of the sert Expedition in 1938 by Bagnold, Myers, and potential and need in any further research. Winkler (Winkler 1938; 1939). After the heyday of desert exploration during the 1930s, rock art research stagnated during the decades after Why rock art research is World War II, with the notable exception of the needed in the Western Desert Belgian Mission to Ouenat in 1968/69 which led to the discovery of a substantial number of As it is not intended here to give an introduc- new sites (Van Noten 1978). tion to the history of rock art discovery and Since the beginning of the 21st century, the research in the Western Desert, interested number of known rock art sites has been more readers are referred to competently written than doubled (Zboray’s work closes with the overviews given in Huyge 2003, Le Quellec publication in 2005; for following years see et al. 2005, Le Quellec & Huyge 2008, and in Zboray 2008 and others in past issues of Sahara Zboray 2005. This paper will stress the very journal). During only three years, from 2002 recent development of rock art discoveries, until 2004, more than 100 sites were discovered as it illustrates a serious problem which rock per annum. This exponential increase in the art research currently has to deal with. number of sites resulted from discoveries of de- The majority of known rock art sites go back sert enthusiasts, a development which ultima- to the discoveries of amateurs. This is not the tely went along with the opening of the Western crucial point, as recordings made by some ama- Desert for off-road tourism. teurs have archived valuable information, but it For other Western Desert regions we are less stands in sharp contrast to the number of syste- well-informed; but the change that Ouenat and matic investigations in this fi eld. We are not in- Gilf Kebir have seen during the past years may formed yet about the exact number of known be a good example for the entire Western De- sites, nor are there any fi nal results published sert, though the development appears to be not from the very few recent projects that have been fully identical in other regions. The increase of carried out more detailed studies. visits at the Djara Cave, evidenced by the en- Thanks to the fi ne compilation by Zboray tries of visiting groups in the guest book of the (2005), which has claim to being a complete cave between its discovery in 1989 and the close list of the known rock art sites discovered in the of the statistic in 2000, indicate a tendency that Ouenat and Gilf Kebir region, a good overview appears to be congruent with the development about the number of sites and their history of in Egypt’s southwest (fi g. 1). discovery for this part of the Western Desert Despite the growing exploration, none of the is at our disposal. It illustrates the dilemma in sites discovered in the past years has seen any which rock art research became stuck during groundwork in complete documentation, sys- the past decades. tematic examination, or dating, a fact that is, Zboray (2005) has listed nearly 600 rock art likewise, connected to the general lack of well sites that have been discovered in the Ouenat/ assessed scientifi c research in the fi eld of rock Gilf Kebir region since Hassanein Bey reached art. It is, however, not only the unbalanced rela- Jebel Ouenat and made the fi rst discoveries of tion between scientifi c studies and amateur dis- rock art on this mountain (fi g. 1) in 1923. The coveries and the resulting growth of speculative following peaks of discoveries are connected interpretations of some images, which makes to the early exploration of the Western Desert scientifi c research pressing; even more serious 32 ARCHÉO-NIL ● n°19 - janvier 2009 Prehistoric Rock Art Research in the Western Desert of Egypt Fig. 1 is the ongoing destruction of rock art sites du- meaning of individual depictions are nume- Discoveries (or fi rst reports) of ring the past years. They suffer whenever there rous, as well as comparisons of similar images in rock art sites per are increased numbers of visitors, in particular distant regions, which often led to postulations year in the Gilf Kebir/Ouenat at unprotected sites in the desert areas. Althou- of far ranging cultural contacts over hundreds region (in columns) gh vandalism and criminal destruction exist, of kilometres. The latter applies, in particular, to illustrating the much damage is caused without intention; the popular view that features of Saharan rock results of the most important research nevertheless it occurs. Modern carvings and art can be attributed to Egyptian iconography expeditions and inscriptions are added to the images; water and pointing to hypothetical infl uences of desert the increase of discoveries during oil have been spread on the paintings to make cultures onto Predynastic, Early Dynastic or the most recent them visible; moreover, trampling and artefact Pharaonic Egypt or vice versa. This kind of of- past (source: Zboray 2005; the collecting destroys the prehistoric habitation si- ten poorly assessed and highly subjective inter- statistic closes with tes in the surrounding area. pretation creates an atmosphere of indifference the publication of Zboray’s DVD in Recently, a number of attempts have been made, to careful groundwork in rock art research, im- 2005). The line which claimed to better protect the sites in the plying that dating, recording and interpretation gives the tendency Western Desert. Among them are activities of of rock art in the Western Desert had fully been of visits of groups at Djara Cave tour-operators and non-governmental initia- archived. In fact, the identifi cation and cultu- (after a statistic by tives, as well as governmental support, both ral affi liation of rock depictions in the Western Kindermann based on entries in the from the Egyptian side and foreign countries. Desert suffer from serious problems in dating, guest book posted The declaration of the Gilf Kebir-Ouenat Park which cannot be resolved by typological means in the cave after its re-discovery by the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency alone. Direct dating or stratigraphical methods by Bergmann in (EEAA) to protect the natural and cultural he- have not been applied to Western Desert parie- 1989).