Description
The Amogjar rock paintings are situated near Agrour Amogjar, a rock formation approximately 690 metres high, close to the Amogjar Pass in the Adrar Mountains in Mauritania. Dozens of painted rock faces can be found there in small natural shelters and shallow caves. The paintings were discovered in 1954.
During the Neolithic period, some 6,000 years ago, the area now covered by the desert was savannah. The guide therefore often gazes out over the plain and wonders what it must have looked like six thousand years ago.
Researchers have identified at least eight distinct stylistic groups from different periods. These range from the so-called pastoral period to very recent graffiti. The images include herds of cattle, wild animals such as giraffes, lions and crocodiles, human figures, handprints, geometric motifs, horsemen and dancing people.
These dancers are among the best-known images at Amogjar.
Unfortunately, the paintings are badly damaged. Some have faded with age, whilst others have been damaged by handling and, in particular, by the rocks being wetted to make the images more visible.
We visited Mauritania on our overland trip by car (a Toyota LandCruiser 4WD campervan) from West-Africa; see our channel https://www.youtube.com/user/JanvanBekkum for hundreds of clips. More clips of Mauritania can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMYlw_C7EP8KqyTKPnPCZ38MjsZxf_bkB. Enjoy more rock art by playing the clips in this playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMYlw_C7EP8Kg6vhXt7BwsHzo201-aaCS.
Music and/or sound effects:
- 'Flow' performed by Jon Sayles (http://www.jsayles.com/familypages/EarlyMusic.htm#Rights);
- 'Symphony of the Streets. Hip-Hop Background Music for video 60 second' created by Maksim Dudchyk and uploadexd from Pixbay (https://pixabay.com/nl/music/orkestraal-symphony-of-the-streets-hip-hop-background-music-for-video-60-second-476679/).;
- 'Calm inspiring technology logo short version' created by Alex Zavesa, distributed by Pixabay (https://pixabay.com/sound-effects/film-special-effects-calm-inspiring-technology-logo-short-version-518993/).