Nil-Sahara

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ln 1954, R.Mauny proposed a dating starting with 5000 B.C. for the earliest
representations of the wild fauna of French West Africa, which became a temporary base of
reference. For the Acacus (Libya), in 1965 F.Mori put forward an earlier dating which was
contested. Even if that difficult question has not yet been solved, the results of the
paleoethnological and cultural research carried out in the Tibesti remain valuable.
When General Huard returned to France he was able to consult published sources at
l'Ecole du Louvre, thanks to J.Vandier, while at the Cabinet d'Egyptologie du Collège de
France J.Yoyotte was one of the rare Egyptologists taking an interest in the relationship
between the Nile Valley and inner Africa in ancient times. At Strasbourg in the summer of
1962 the General also met Prof. Leclant by whom various cultural features relating to large
wild fauna discovered ten years earl ier in Tibesti were identified on unpubl ished figures
of elephant and giraffe that the Egyptologist had recorded in Nubia.
Henceforth the two searchers (Pr.Leclant and General Huard) agreed to collaborate
closely, starting from the archaic material of the Nile (both predynastic decorated objects
and rock pictures) dealing with hunting. In parallel, a survey of blank areas formerly
suitable for hunting would be undertaken. Then the results would be set beside rock art
publications concerning the Sahara as weIl as the Nile. These were now more numerous.
1 became interested in this subject in 1968 and went first to southern Libya
(Mathendush, 1968-69), and the following year to the Tassili (Fadnoun and Djanet area), the
Djado and Togo; then with the General to South Maraco (1971 and 1972), to North-Tassi 1i
(Wadi Djerat, 1973), twice to the Saharan Atlas (Sud-Algérois and Sud-Oranais (1974),
Sud-Algérois (1975) ; in 1976 to South Marocco. 1 alsa collaborated in the publications
issued after these visits. Then from 1978 1 went, without my husband, for further visits to
the Tassili (1978, 1984, 1987, 1988), to the Tadrart (1984), to the Hoggar area (1986),
alternating with my work on the Sudanese part of the Nile (1979, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985).
Fig. 9. Croquis indigène. Figurine en or (agrandie).