Rock art in North Africa is now generally associated with the rather
spectacular discoveries that were made by L’ hote at Tassili situated in the Sahara.
Though these were first known in 1933, it was not until 1956 that L’hote’s expedition made the first proper examination. But
prior to this period there were some others found at various sites in Libya that had
been known at a much earlier time. The similarity of these schematic
representations to the rock shelters and the SouthSpanishCaves, which differ
considerably from the pictorial art of the Upper Paleolithic, suggested that
the culture, which excavated these, were common to both regions. In Spain this is
assigned as belonging to the Mesolithic period 11,000 to 7500 BC and more
specifically called a composite appellation Azilian-Tardenoisian,
who are renowned for microlithics.
Recently another form of Rock art called the Levantine which is prevalent at sites,
some well inland but situated along Spain’s eastern seaboard, has emerged which
differs in some degree to that of the southern region though it is not
necessary to assume that this was caused through any marked racial
differentiation. The affinities of the South Spanish art with North Africa
where the culture distinguished by its industry termed Upper Capsian appears to be undoubted and this resemblance is
exhibited by the forms of headdress which in drawings belonging to the former
region and prehistoric Egypt are identical. It was considered then, and a great
protagonist of this hypothesis was Sir Arthur Keith, anthropologist and prehistorian, that North Africa had been populated by the
means of two land bridges, the one severed by the Straits of Gibraltar and the
Sicilian which is known to have afforded a passage for elephants and other
animals. Both in Libya and Spain many of these frescoes comprise a number of
human figures either male or female or even both which are sometimes grouped or
appear to surround an animal representation that could be either an actual
animal or a human disguised as such. Men either single several are also
frequently depicted attacking bison or bulls. Many of the drawings particularly
the Libyan are cut very deeply and this circumstance renders it unlikely that
unless there was an underlying purpose these Tardenoisian-Azilian
or Capsian artists would go to the trouble of etching
the stylized human characters and animals, and it is quite probable that the
animal drawings had some totemic significance which finally emerged as
personifications deities and those of the Egyptian Nomes
may have owed something from these representations. The cult significance of
bulls and bison, and the bull fight throughout both Egypt, the Levant
and the Argen area need scarcely be emphasized and
still has an importance. It cannot be overlooked that in both Southern Andulucia in Spain and Libya there are depicted a number of
signs which the Spanish archaeologist Obermaier once
declared to be developed and highly stylized human images. Some possibly maybe
just that but it is equally certain others are not and have other antecedents.
These signs are sufficiently similar in both areas as to dispose of any
suggestion that these were independently developed or evolved in two entirely
unconnected sources. Some appear as pre-dynastic pottery marks and much later
in a much more conventionalized form seem to have developed into characters
belonging to the Egyptian and Aegean scripts.
That there must have been an ulterior motive behind these repetitive signs
cannot be disputed and that they may be ideographic appears to be highly
probable. But this is not all. During the first decade of this century, a
missionary discoursing on African history to his Nigerian class, affirmed that
there had been no writing in Africa prior to
the coming of the Europeans. This was contracted by one youngster, and thus Nsibidi, the secret pictographic script belonging to
initiated persons belonging to the Nisibidi secret
society exclusively confined to the Ekoi and Efik tribes of Southern Nigeria
became known to Europeans for the first time. Little is still known concerning
it but it appears to exhibit in its characters that can be likened to very
irregular shorthand, points of close similarity with those of Libya and Southern Spain.
These signs have an ideographic significance, which reinforces the suggestion
made earlier that the Libyan and Spanish ones had a similar meaning. It may
also be re called that the Azilian Pebbles which were
the subject of much controversy at one time have depicted on them a number of
designs that have been associated with Rock drawings. It cannot be overlooked
that the former was adept in the making of microlithics
and it was recently that a similar industry has been discovered in Nigeria. Both
in the Southern Spain and along the Niger, rock drawings are known to
exist but these are little known at present and there are few details available
concerning these. Again it may be questioned, were these representations in Libya and Spain the contemporary Neolithic
populations or were these an intrusive racial stock
whose decorative modes and signs drew the attention of the primitive hunters
who depicted and imitated the latter and finally adapted to their culture. It
certainly appears quite definite whoever they were belonged to the Atlantic
sea-board, and perhaps not quite confined to the European one only and spread
inland and along the shores of the Mediterranean, to eventually initiate or at
least contribute to the rise of civilization in that area. All the indications
so far suggest that these were stock-breeders rather than agriculturists and
the combination of the two may have produced the Egyptian Civilization.
Stylized drawings that are reminiscent of the Saite
goddess Neith are known in Libya and it has been
established long since by Sir Grafton Elliot Smith and Sir Arthur Evans that
the shield that both the Egyptian goddess is of Libyan design. Are the myths
and narratives preserved by Herodotus and DiodorusSiculus relating to North Africa, the last echoes of these
peoples who left their memorials on the rock surfaces of southern Spain, Libya
and Nigeria.
Webmaster Notes- The connection to Spain
and North Africa has long held connections with the Amazon’s domain and Nigeria we feel
would be consistent. So to Greece
and Egypt
was influenced by these peoples.
