Prehistoric Past Of Chad: Ancient Rock Art, Pottery And Efforts To Preserve The Green Sahara Rich Heritage For Tourism

Published on September 20, 2025

A unreality of particulate rises from an excavation tract successful northern Chad, wherever a squad of dedicated archaeologists is cautiously searching for grounds of past quality life successful an area erstwhile known arsenic nan “Green Sahara.” This ancient region, now characterized by arid landscapes, was erstwhile a fertile and humid onshore that supported a assortment of plants and fauna. Today, scientists are moving tirelessly to uncover nan remnants of ancient settlements that could shed ray connected really early humans adapted to biology changes complete time.

Unearthing nan Past: The Role of Chadian Archaeologists

At nan Gaora Hallagana site successful nan Ennedi West province, archaeologist Djimet Guemona, 35, spends his days meticulously sifting done layers of sand, equipped pinch only a brushwood and a trowel. The excavation tract is situated wrong 1 of nan largest stone shelters successful nan area, providing a valuable glimpse into nan distant past. Guemona describes nan process of excavation arsenic akin to turning nan pages of a historical book to measurement backmost successful time, uncovering each part of pottery and charcoal arsenic if unlocking long-forgotten chapters of history.

The July ngo brought together a squad of Chadian archaeologists and geologists from universities successful N’Djamena and Abéché. Their task was to found a foundational timeline for nan region’s ancient settlements, focusing connected identifying chronological markers that could thief framework nan area’s rich | archaeological past.

Ennedi’s Hidden Riches

The Natural and Cultural Reserve of Ennedi (RNCE), established successful 2018, encompasses a immense expanse of 50,000 quadrate kilometers successful bluish Chad, a region that borders Libya and Sudan. The reserve is known for its bonzer array of prehistoric engravings and stone paintings. Thousands of images depicting ancient wildlife and quality activities tin beryllium recovered crossed nan rocky walls, offering invaluable penetration into nan measurement early inhabitants lived. The reserve was inscribed connected nan UNESCO World Heritage database successful 2016, highlighting its immense world taste value.

Despite its prominence, nan area’s archaeological imaginable remains mostly untapped. Mahamat Ahmat Oumar, nan caput of nan technological ngo funded by African Parks, noted that much than 1,600 archaeological sites person been catalogued successful nan region, but this number represents only a fraction of what is apt retired there. There is an tremendous magnitude of untapped potential, underscoring nan truth that overmuch of nan investigation successful this area has been dominated by overseas scientists. For years, Chadian researchers person not invested capable successful afloat exploring this immense and historically rich | region.

The Struggle to Access Remote Sites

The region’s sandstone stone formations, which displacement successful colour from pinkish to purple to orangish depending connected nan clip of day, airs important challenges for researchers. Many of nan sites are located successful remote areas, requiring difficult and often vulnerable recreation to access. The harsh godforsaken situation and scorching sun adhd further obstacles for teams attempting to scope these ancient shelters. Some sites person besides been historically inaccessible owed to nan tumultuous history of nan region, which includes conflicts specified arsenic nan Chad-Libya war (1978–1987).

This history of conflict has near remnants of war debris, including shells and tank parts, scattered crossed nan land. Today, recreation to these regions is still discouraged by nan overseas ministry of France, Chad’s erstwhile assemblage power, citing information concerns.

Rock Art and nan “Green Sahara”

The stone creation recovered passim Ennedi is possibly 1 of nan astir striking elements of nan region’s archaeological heritage. Many of these paintings, created during nan Green Sahara period (approximately 10,000 to 3,000 years BC), picture animals that were erstwhile communal successful nan area. This includes images of hippopotamuses, giraffes, and elephants, suggesting a clip erstwhile nan Sahara was overmuch greener, pinch lush pastures, gallery forests, and waterways. Frederique Duquesnoy, an archaeologist pinch nan Mediterranean Laboratory of Prehistoric Europe and Africa (LAMPEA), uses image enhancement tools to uncover these paintings, immoderate of which are invisible to nan naked eye. These images connection a glimpse into a world wherever nan region was teeming pinch wildlife and quality settlements.

New Discoveries: Pottery and Early Human Life

Further grounds of ancient quality life successful nan region comes successful nan shape of fragments of pottery discovered by Celestin Gabi, a Chadian doctoral student astatine nan University of Toulouse Jean Jaurès. Some of these fragments, adorned pinch wavy patterns, whitethorn day backmost arsenic acold arsenic 7,000 BC, further supporting nan presumption that this area erstwhile supported a thriving quality population. These pottery pieces could yet supply clues astir nan regular lives of group who lived during nan early stages of nan Holocene, nan geological epoch pursuing nan past Ice Age.

As nan squad prepares for imaginable carbon dating of these materials, nan adjacent measurement will beryllium large-scale digs aimed astatine uncovering much accusation astir really ancient populations adapted to nan progressively arid conditions of nan region. Understanding really these group survived and thrived successful specified an situation could connection valuable lessons for modern-day challenges related to climate change and desertification.

A New Vision for Sustainable Heritage Preservation

The Chadian authorities is presently moving connected a tourism improvement plan for nan region, which is expected to beryllium finalized by nan first half of nan coming year. This inaugural is intended to some sphere nan region’s rich | practice and pull visitors to nan area, perchance creating a sustainable gross watercourse for its continued conservation. Hamid Kodi, lawman head of nan RNCE, noted that tourism could beryllium a captious root of backing for practice preservation, allowing section communities to use straight from nan site’s taste importance.

However, African Parks, an NGO managing nan reserve, has faced disapproval for its guidance practices successful different parts of Africa. In Ennedi, African Parks has emphasized responsible management and is committed to moving pinch section communities to guarantee that nan region’s taste and earthy practice benefits nan group who telephone it home. Kodi, who himself hails from nan Ennedi region, highlighted that nan parkland is focused connected empowering section younker by involving them successful nan guidance and preservation of nan reserve.

The Path Forward

As technological investigation continues, nan dream is that further discoveries will thief portion together nan analyzable history of human habitation successful nan Ennedi region. By amended knowing nan group who lived there, researchers dream to summation insights into their adaptation to biology changes and to lend to broader efforts to sphere Africa’s rich | taste heritage.