Thousands Of Years Ago, The Sahara Used To Be Lush, Green, And Filled With Water

In the vast, rocky Atbai Desert located in Eastern Sudan, the discovery of prehistoric rock art indicates that the region was once lush, green, and filled with water and other resources that animals need to survive.
The Atbai Desert is part of the Sahara Desert. The artwork dates back to around 4,000 years ago, which means that the desert went through some huge changes just over the past few millennia.
During 2018 and 2019, archaeologists from Macquarie University were conducting fieldwork as part of the Atbai Survey Project.
The project aims to study the relationship between Indigenous nomads and Egyptian and Nubian cultures who journeyed into the desert.
The team of researchers was led by Dr. Julien Cooper, and the details of their findings are published in the Journal of Egyptian Archaeology.
They identified 16 different rock art sites near Wadi Halfa, a city in northern Sudan that is not far from the border with Egypt.
They found depictions of humans and various animals, including antelopes, elephants, giraffes, and cattle.
The latter is surprising because cattle graze in pastures, and the Atbai Desert has always been known as a dry and arid region.
Today, the desert receives little to no annual rainfall, making it impossible to raise cattle successfully. But as recently as 3000 B.C.E., cattle farming was a daily part of life in the area, as shown by the rock art.

Flavijus Piliponis – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
The illustrations of cattle are key pieces of evidence supporting the idea that the Sahara used to be rich with swamps, grass, and watering holes.
Between approximately 15,000 years and 5,000 years ago, Africa experienced an increased amount of summer rainfall due to monsoons that occurred as a result of the way the Earth was orbiting around the sun at that time.
The rain transformed the Sahara into a land of grassy pastures and freshwater lakes that were home to numerous animal species.
When the wet period came to an end, the lakes and rivers started drying up. The area was replaced with sand, and many people moved closer to the Nile.
“The Atbai Desert around Wadi Halfa, where the new rock art was discovered, became almost completely depopulated. For those who remained, cattle were abandoned for sheep and goats,” Dr. Cooper said.
“This would have had major ramifications on all aspects of human life—from diet and limited milk supplies, migratory patterns of herding families, and the identity and livelihood of those who depended on their cattle.”
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