Temehu
 
   
  
 

 

Wadi Tashwinat

 


 

a sign board of Tashwinat: yellow

Hello & Welcome to Wadi Tashwinat.

 

 

 

a figure rising his or her hands up

 

A 120 centimeter high anthropomorphic figure, probably from the Round Head Period. The roundish head has a white section on its right, and both hands are raised, probably as a sacred gesture or in jubilation of some sort. The hands are symbols of power and protection in Berber mythology and are often used in Berber art and as sacred symbols above doors, as in this photo. This painting is located in a small shelter, not far from Wadi Imha, also a site of a Round Head Period art.


The Wadi (Valley) of Tashwinat, also written as Tashwinet or Tashweenet, is widely regarded by the Berber Tuareg of the Sahara as the capital of Acacus. This gigantic valley branches into dozens of smaller valleys and hence the home of thousands of cave art paintings. The total number of valleys around the Tashwinat area is said to be more than one hundred wadis.

 

The art, some of which dates to the Round Head Period (about 9000 years ago), is engaging, vivid, and includes paintings and engravings of various animals, human figures, scenes of cattle with exaggerated horns, and various social activities.

 

Most of the human figures lacked any facial features and appear to have mythological background and themes. In fact some lacked heads altogether, and instead have what is known as stick-heads, as in the following image. The heads are merely represented by a line or a stick.


stylish dance from Tashwinat

Beautifully executed painting of two women dancing in style.

hunting scene

Wonderful capture of movement and sense of agility; a hunter in pursuit of game.

an elegant elephant engraving from wadi tashwinat

Elegant Elephant (Pastoral Period).

two tall figures from wadi tashwinat

A group of figures in what appears to be a mysterious ceremony or dance.

Wadi tanshalt (T-Anshalt)

two animals and a figure from wadi Tashwinat

 

 

cave painting of animals running, in wadi tashwinat

 

 

bull fight

 

a scene of bows and arrows

A hunting scene with figures with bows & arrows, and with what looks like hunting dogs.

A mythical cave figure, painted in red ochre, from Wadi Tashwinat, Acacus

 

 

adoration scene

The Tashwinat figure in jubilation, with three figures with stick heads in the far distant.

cave painting of two figures holiding double sticks, in wadi tashwinat

 

 

rock engraving showing a map of wadi tashwinat


This ancient engraving, located in Wadi Takdhalt, shows a map of Wadi Tashwinat: the lines are wadis or valleys, and the holes are water wells. The map is well hidden and probably was meant to be hidden. The exact location of the map, according to our own reading, is: N24 51.124 E10 31.143