Scope

Outcropping rock forming part of lower cliff of W promontory terminus, close to modern road. Carvings on vertical surface of large panel (4x4m).

Arrangement

Human, two elephants, twelve giraffes, twelve Roan antelopes, two bovids, quadruped, three birds, animal, two ambiguous animals, abstract: Panel surface covered with carvings and multiple layers of activity. Many of the images are superimposed, some very faint, and many lines are unclear suggesting more images were originally present: In centre of panel is incised outline of large elephant facing left with two upright ears, thin trunk, two tusks, large rounded feet. Incised neck and head of giraffe facing left superimposed over one of hind legs. Incised outline of bird facing left is superimposed by one of front feet, two pecked birds and a circle below front feet. Between legs is incised outline of smaller elephant (baby?) facing left with large ear, trunk attached to leg of large elephant. To right of elephant is pecked and incised outline of a giraffe facing right with short upward horns or ears, partial mane, pecking on hide. Image is superimposed by incised outline of giraffe facing right with forward curving horn, tail raised body area smoothed. To the right is incised outline of giraffe or gerenuk facing right, top of head broken, lines and pecking on body, double tail. Pecked abstract image to the right. Below large elephant is incised outline of giraffe facing right with short upward horns or ears, pecking on hide. Body and neck form part of underlying image, possibly an ambiguous animal with facing left with forward curving horn. To the left is similar incised outline of an ambiguous anima facing right with forward curving horn. Superimposed over this image is incised outline of a giraffe facing right with short upward pointing horns or ears. Pecked head and neck of animal facing right protrudes from neck of giraffe. Hind of giraffe is superimposed over incised outline of quadruped facing right. To left on lower left corner of panel are pecked and incised outlines of three giraffe facing right; on left is pecked giraffe, head indistinct. Superimposed by incised giraffe with short upward horns or ears, eye, lines across neck, raised tail, pecking on hide. Superimposed by pecked giraffe to right with short upward horns and ears, feet depicted, pecking on hide. Superimposes pecked giraffe to right with short upward horns and ears, eroded body and legs. Above, on far left of panel is pecked outline of bovid facing right with upward pointing horns. Above is pecked outline of antelope facing right with backward curving horns. To the right are three large giraffes in a row facing right. Giraffe on left is incised and smoothed with faint short horns, raised tail and line below tail (urinating?), reticulated markings on hide, legs smoothed. Giraffe to the right is incised with faint short horns, double tail (urinating?), body area pecked and smoothed. Giraffe to the right is incised with short horns or ears, double tail (urinating?), pecking on hide. To the right between head of giraffe and head of elephant is pecked outline of human facing forward with circular head, arms bent and raised, bow in one hand. In addition, thirteen earlier images in a similar style (Wallpaper) underlie the images on the left half of the panel. These Wallpaper images are of similar, small dimensions, and totally pecked. All represent stylised horned animals facing right. Twelve have cervico-thoracic humps and backward curving horns, probably Road antelopes, one has possible forward curving horns. Figures 6.9a, 6.13d, 7.15d&e, 9.28c, A.2.7 Giraffes face nord in Pauphillet (1953); Mattingly et al (2003, 2007: 190)

Biographical history

Deposited with the Society for Libyan Studies Online Archive by Tertia Barnett in 2019

Related materials

Giraffes face nord in Pauphillet (1953; Mattingly et al (2003, 2007: 190