The Sahara Desert was formed about 2.5 million years ago and is the largest desert in the worldSandyDesert, with an area of about 9.32 million square kilometersAfricanorth.The climate condition in this area is very bad, and it is one of the most unsuitable places for living creatures on the earth.
The Sahara isArabicThe transliteration of "Sahara" in Arabic is a big desert, which originates from the localnomadic peopleTuaregThe original meaning of "desert" is "big desert".[1]
The name "Sahara" comes fromArabicالصحراء，Is from the localNomadic TuaregIt is introduced by the language of "desert", which means "desert" in its language.The desert was formed about 2.5 million years ago.
On PreviousIce AgeThe Sahara is not a desert, and the climate is similar toEast Africa, about 30000 ancient rock paintings were found in the desert, of which about half wereAlgeriaSouthernNgajer Plateau, depicting animals in the river, such ascrocodileEtc.
Shooting satellite: FY-3D shooting location: Sahara Desert in Mauritania[9]
At the same time, dinosaurs were also foundFossil。But since 3000 BC, the Sahara, exceptNile Valley And scattered in the desertoasisThere is almost no large area of vegetation nearby.
Historical evolution
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According to the content of the rock paintings in the Sahara Desert, they can be divided into several periods:
prehistoric
prehistoricstaythe pleistoceneBefore and after.The Sahara was not very dry at that time, but a vast river alluvial plain.No signs of human activities were found at this stage, so it was named prehistoric. There were rock paintings in North Africa at that time.
Buffalo period
Buffalo periodFrom about 35000 years ago to about 8000 BC.Its rock paintings are mainly in southeast Algeria, Chad and Libya.They were painted between 10000 BC and 8000 BC,rhinoceros。The figures in the paintings often wear round helmets and hats, use sticks, axes, bows and arrows, and throw sticks to hit prey, but no javelin is found.
Scalper period
Scalper periodFrom about 7500 BC to about 4000 BC.Local residents began to engage inNomadic life, herding cattle and sheep.Pottery and polished stone axes, stone grinders and arrows of the Neolithic Age, as well as some hunting bows and arrows, have been found.Animals for grazing are introduced from Asia.In the later period, some village relics that can gather more people and livestock were found.
Horse Period
Horse PeriodFrom about 3000 BC to about 700 BC.During this period, there were signs that horses, camels and cows had been introduced and large-scale agriculture had been carried out.The Phoenicians learned to use and forge iron, probably around 1220 BC.PhoeniciansAt that time, the Grand Alliance of Empires was established in the region from the whole Sahara to Egypt.
Since 2500 BC, the Sahara has become a big desert in the same state as it is now, and an insurmountable barrier for human beings at that time. Only some residents in the oasis can hardly cross the desert for commercial exchanges.Only the Nile Valley is an exception. With sufficient water, it has become a region where plants grow luxuriantly and one of the birthplaces of human civilization.howeverthe NileThere are several great waterfalls that are not navigable, which also create great obstacles for commercial trade.However, Egypt can still spread iron technology and perhaps the idea of emperors to the southNubiaAnd farther south.
By 500 BC,ancient GreekAnd the Phoenicians began to have an impact on this area. Greek businessmen developed their own businesses along the eastern edge of the desert and established many commercial colonies along the Red Sea coast.CarthageThey developed along the Atlantic coast in the west of the desert, but because the Atlantic was dangerous and there was no sufficient market, their exploration never exceeded the scope of Morocco.Centralized countries are only distributed in the northern and eastern edge of the desert, and their power cannot reach the hinterland of the desert, so these people living on the edge of the desert are often attacked by Berber people who are nomadic in the desert.
Camel Period
The biggest change in the history of the Sahara Desert comes from the invasionarabBroughtcamelThey enabled trade to cross the desert. The chiefs along the Mediterranean coast in the north transported horses and handicrafts to the south. The Sahel Kingdom in the south became rich and powerful because of the export of gold and salt.The oasis in the desert became a commercial center, gradually controlled by the northern chiefs.
Sailing period
This state lasted for centuries until Europeans invented the galleon, first of allportugueseGo around the Sahara to captureGuineaThe Sahara soon lost its commercial value.Although the colonists ignored the value of the Sahara Desert, they found many valuable minerals in modern times, includingAlgeriaandLibyaOf oil and gas resources,MoroccoandWestern SaharaPhosphate rock.
Historical culture
The Sahara Desert is hot and dry.However, it is puzzling that there was a prosperous ancient civilization in this extremely dry and water scarce mining area with cracked land and few plants.Many beautiful large murals in the desert are the crystallization of this ancient civilization.
Although the Sahara Desert (excluding the Nile Valley) is as large as the United States, its residents are estimated to be only 2.5 million, less than 0.4 people per square kilometer.The vast area is empty, but as long as the barren vegetation can support livestock, or there is a reliable water source, scattered people will be in the world's most difficult environment and vulnerableecological environmentTo survive.
Archaeology has proved that people of all kinds have settled in the Sahara Desert, and the cultivation and domestication of animals and plants have led to professional specialization.Foreign trade has also developed. Moliscan copper found its way into the Mediterranean Bronze Age civilization in 2000 BC.
The great migration of nomads facilitated their involvement in trade throughout the Sahara Desert.The residents of the oasis in the Sahara Desert are vulnerable to the Sanhaya people（Berber nationality）Many of them entered the desert to escape the chaos and war disaster at the end of ancient Rome in North Africa.Many remaining oasis residents, including Haratin, were conquered by nomads.During the 7th and 11th centuriesIslamismThe expansion to North Africa has aroused more Berbers and Arab groups eager to maintain traditional beliefs to move into the Sahara Desert.Islam eventually expanded through trade routes and became a major social force in the desert.
Sahara Desert Landscape
Despite considerable cultural differences, people tend to classify people in the Sahara Desert as herders, settled farmers or professionals (such as blacksmiths, herders and cultivators).The Tuareg (who call themselves the Kel Tamasheq) are known for their militant and fanatical independence.Although they are Islamists, they retain the organization of matriarch, and Tuareg women enjoy unusual freedom.The Moors in the west originally had strong tribal alliances.Tibes mentioned that the Teda people on his southern border are mainly camel herders, who are famous for their independence and hard work.
Within the desert, the fixed occupation is limited to the oasis, where the irrigation conditions allow limited planting of dates, pomegranates and other fruit trees;Cereals such as millet, barley, wheat and vegetables;And special crops such as henna.The expansion of oases is severely restricted by water sources. In some places, excessive use of water has seriously lowered the water levelAdlardThis is the case for oases in (Adrar) district.Serious evaporation, which causes soil salinization and being buried by eroded sand, is another hazard;The latter, such as the situation of Souf oasis in Algeria, needs to be removed manually.
Causes
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On September 22, 2014,Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of SciencesThe latest research shows that between 7 million and 11 million years ago,Tethys SeaThe contraction of the Sahara Desert caused the formation of the Sahara Desert in Africa, which overturned the traditional view that the Sahara Desert was formed in the Quaternary period (about 3 million years ago).[2]
It is generally believed that the formation of the Sahara Desert will not be earlier than the Quaternary.A large number of geological records show thatQuaternary glaciationAt the beginning, there was a marked drought in the Sahara.The drought degree of Sahara is mainly affected by the African summer monsoon.
Before the Quaternary, the change of the African summer monsoon showed an obvious precession cycle (about 20000 years);After the beginning of the Quaternary ice age, the ice age cycle (about 40000 or 100000 year cycle) began to affect the intensity of the African summer monsoon.[2]
Researchers from the Institute of Atmosphere of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and foreign scientists have found that the Late Miocene Toltonian Stage (about 7 million to 11 million years ago) was the key period when drought in North Africa intensified the formation of the Sahara Desert.Scientists have used the Norwegian Earth System Model and the Common Atmosphere Model to reveal that the contraction of the Tethys Sea in the Toltonian stage has significantly weakened the African summer monsoon, and the arid desert environment has formed in large areas of North Africa.
The contraction of the Tethys Sea not only led to the change of the average climate state in North Africa, but also strengthened the response of the African summer monsoon to the orbital change, and then became the main factor controlling the changes in the Sahara Desert.[2]
（2）North AfricaAndAsiaThe mainland is close to,northeast tradesBlown from the eastern land, it is not easy to form precipitation, making North Africa drier.
（3）North AfricaThe coastline is flat and straight, withEthiopian Plateau, which blocks the moist air flow and prevents the vast inland areas from being affected by the ocean.
（4）North AfricaThere areCanary Cold CurrentAfter that, it can cool and dehumidify the western coastal areas and make the desert close to the west coast.
（5）North AfricaThe terrain is single, the terrain is flat, the undulation is not large, and the climate is single, forming a large desert area.[3]
The Sahara Desert is the largest desert in the world except Antarctica. It is located in the north of Africa, from the Mediterranean to the southSudan grassland。It is located to the south of the Atlas Mountains and the Mediterranean Sea (about 35 ° north latitude line), and to the north of about 14 ° north latitude line (250 mm isohyet line).
Western Sahara DesertAtlanticFrom the coast to the northAtlas Mountainsandmediterranean seaIt is bounded by the Red Sea in the east and the Red Sea in the southSudanandNiger RiverValley borderingSahel ——A transitional area of half desert and half grassland.
The Sahara Desert is the largest desert in the world, almost covering the whole areaAfricanorth.The desert is 4800 km (3000 miles) long from east to west, 1300 km to 1900 km (800 to 1200 miles) from north to south, and covers a total area of 9320000 km2.
Across the northern part of the African continent, it is 5600 kilometers long from east to west and 1600 kilometers wide from south to north, accounting for about 32% of the total area of Africa.
The Sahara Desert is divided into several parts:Western Sahara；Central plateau mountains (including those located inAlgeriaOfAhakal Plateau, onNigerThe Ayer Plateau and theChadOfTibesti Mountains ）；The most desolate area in the east is Tenere Desert and Libyan Desert.The highest point of the Sahara Desert is located in the Tiberian highlandKuxi MountainAnd the altitude is 3415m.
The main topographic features of the Sahara Desert include shallow and seasonally flooded basins and large oasis depressions, rocky highlands, steep mountains, and sandy beachesSand dunesAnd the Sand Sea.
The highest point in the desert is 3415 meters (11204 feet) of Koussi Peak, located in theTibesti Mountains；The lowest point is 133 meters (436 feet) below sea levelGaitara depression（Qattara Depression）。
The Sahara Desert appeared as a climatic desert about 5 million years ago, that is, in the early Pliocene (5.3 million to 3.4 million years ago).Since then, it has been experiencing changes in dry and wet conditions.[4]
The climate is extremely harsh, and it is one of the most unsuitable places for living things to grow on the earth.Arabic Sahara means“Great desert”。Sahara Desert (English name: Sahara Desert) is the most sunny place in the world, and it is also the largest and most harsh desert in the world.
The climate of the Sahara Desert is controlled by the north-south transition of the trade wind belt, and many extremes often occur.It has the highest evaporation rate in the world and the largest area without rainfall for several years in a row.The temperature can reach frost and freezing at high altitude, and the hottest weather in the world can be found at low altitude.
The Sahara Desert divides the African continent into two parts, North Africa and Southern Black Africa. The climate and culture of these two parts are completely different. The southern border of the Sahara Desert is semi-aridSavanna, which is called "Sahel" in Arabic. Further south, there is abundant rainfall and lush plantsSouthern AfricaIn Arabic, it is called "Sudan", which means Black Africa.
The Sahara Desert is dominated by two climatic situations: the northern part has an arid subtropical climate, and the southern part has an arid tropical climate.The arid subtropical climate is characterized by large annual and daily temperature changes, cold to cool winter and hot summer to the highest precipitation.
The annual range of annual average daily temperature is about 20 ℃ (68 ℉).The average winter temperature is 13 ℃ (55 ℉).It is extremely hot in summer.The highest temperature in Al Aziziyah, Libya, reached a record 58 ℃ (136 ℉).The annual precipitation is 76 mm (3 inches). Although the rainfall changes greatly, most of the precipitation occurs in December March.Another precipitation climax is August, which is characterized by thunderstorms.
Such heavy rain can lead to huge flash floods rushing into areas without rainfall.The arid tropical climate is characterized by a strong annual temperature cycle with the position of the sun;The mild and dry winter and the hot and dry season are followed by repeated and changeable summer rains.The annual average daily temperature difference in the arid tropical region of the Sahara Desert is 17.5 ℃ (31.5 ℉).
The average temperature of the coldest month is basically the same as that of the northern subtropical region. Sometimes, the daily temperature difference is particularly large. At a meteorological station south of Tripoli, North Africa, on December 25, 1978, there was a record that the hottest temperature in the daytime was 37.2 ℃, and the lowest temperature in the evening was - 0.6 ℃. The daily temperature difference reached 37.8 ℃. It can really be described as "wearing fur coat and yarn in the afternoon", which can be described as daytime flame,It is freezing cold at night (although - 0.6 ℃ is not cold, the temperature difference has reached 37.8 ℃, and the instant transition from extreme heat to extreme cold can be imagined). It is very hot in late spring and early summer, and the high temperature of 50 ℃ (122 ℉) is not uncommon.[5]
Although the precipitation in the arid tropical hills is very small all year round, the rainfall in the lowlands can reach the highest in summer.In the north, most of such rainfall occurs in the form of thunderstorms.The average annual precipitation is about 125 mm (5 inches), and the central hills sometimes snow.
The cold Canary current at the western edge of the desert has reduced the temperature, thus reducing the convective rain, but the increase in humidity has also occasionally led to fog.The winter in the southern Sahara Desert is the Hamadan period, which is a dry northeast wind with sand and other small dust particles.
river system
How manyHeadwater of riverFrom outside the Sahara Desertsurface waterAnd groundwater, and absorb the water released from its drainage network.
The main tributaries of the Nile converge in the Sahara Desert, and the river flows northward into the Mediterranean along the eastern edge of the desert;Several rivers flow into Lake Chad in the south of the Sahara Desert, and a considerable amount of water continues to flow to the northeast to refill the areaAquifer；Niger RiverGuineaThe Futajalon region rises, flows through the southwest of the Sahara Desert and then flows south into the sea.
From the Atlas Mountains and LibyaTunisiaStreams and dry river beds (seasonal streams) flowing into the coastal highlands of Algeria and Morocco provide additional water.
Particularly striking is the comprehensive network of dry river beds, lakes and ponds associated with the Tibetian Mountains, andTashili En Aye(Tassili-n-Ajjer) andAhagal MountainsSuch as Tamanrasset River.The sand dunes of the Sahara Desert store a considerable amount of rainwater, and seepage and spring water appear on various cliffs in the desert.
The soil organic matter content in the Sahara Desert is low and there is often no biological activity, although there are nitrogen fixing bacteria in some areas.The soil in depressions often contains salt.The soil on the edge of the desert contains relatively concentrated organic matter.
sahara desertarid landformThere are many types.fromRocky desert(rocky desert), conglomerate desert and desert.The rocky desert is mostly distributed in the higher terrain areas in the middle and east of the Sahara,the NileEasterlyNubian DesertIt is mainly rocky desert.Gravel desert is mostly found between rocky desert and desert, mainly distributed in the rocky area of Libyan desertAtlas Mountains 、Kuxi MountainEtc. piedmont alluvial fan zone.
The desert covers the widest area and is widely distributed except for a few high mountains and plateaus.The famous ones areLibyan desert、Raiboanai Desert、Aubari Desert、AlgeriaOfEastern DesertandWestern Desert、Shesh Desert、Zhufu Desert, Awana DesertBilma DesertEtc.The large area is called "sand sea". The sand sea is composed of complex and regular dunes of different sizes, with complex and diverse shapes, including tall fixed dunes, low mobile dunes, and large areas of fixed and semi fixed dunes.Fixed dunes are mainly distributed in the south near the grassland and the Atlantic coastal zone.From Libya westward to the west of Algeria is a quicksand area.Moving sand dunes move along the wind.In the Sahara Desert, a record of mobile dunes moving 9 meters a year was observed.
The Sahara Desert is sparsely vegetated on the whole, and there are patches of grass, shrubs and trees scattered around highlands, oasis depressions and dry river beds.Found in salt depressionSaline soil plant(salt tolerant plants).There are some heat-resistant and drought tolerant grasses, herbs, small shrubs and trees in the water scarce plains and the Sahara desert plateau.
Olive, cypress and horse tree are important among the remaining woody plants in the Sahara desert highlands.Other woody plants found in highlands and deserts includeAcaciaandArtemisia(Artemisia) plants, Egyptian ginger palm, oleander, dates and thyme.There are saline soil plants such asTamarix chinensis（Tamarix senegalensis）。Grasses are widely distributed in the Sahara Desert, including the following varieties:Tricanthus（Aristida）、Eragrostis(Eragrostis) and Panicum.AtlanticAlong the coast, there are Aeluropos littoralis and othersHalophyte。variousEphemeral plantThe combination constitutes an important seasonal grassland, called ephemeral vegetation area.
animal
Kairzaz Oasis on the Saura River in the Western Sahara Desert
The remnant tropical fauna in the northern Sahara Desert includes tropical catfish and cichlids, both found in AlgeriaBiskela(Biskra) and isolated oases in the Sahara Desert;Cobras and alligators may still live in the river basins of the remote Tibesti Mountains.
Mammals in the Sahara Desert include gerbils, jerboas, Cape hares and desertshedgehog；Berberi sheep and sickle horn antelope, Dorgas antelope, Damau and Nubian wild donkey;Anubis baboonSpotted hyena、fox(Lu's Sand Fox, Red Fox, Ear Fox, Black Fox)[10], generaljackalAnd sand fox;LibyaFerretAnd slender mongoose.
There are more than 300 kinds of birds in the Sahara Desert, including non migratory birds and migratory birds.Coastal zones and inland waterways attract many kinds of waterfowl and shorebirds.The birds in the interior areostrichVarious grabbing birds, heron hawks, guinea fowls and Nubian bustards, desert eagles, barn birds, sand larks and grey rock swallows, as well as ravens with brown necks and fan tails.
Frogs, toads and crocodiles live in lakes and pools in the Sahara Desert.Lizards, shelters, skinks, and cobras haunt rocks and bunkers.There are algae, salt water shrimp and others in the lakes and ponds of the Sahara DesertCrustacea。Snails living in the desert are an important food source for birds and animals.Desert snails survive hibernation and remain inactive for several years before being awakened by rain.[6]
mineral products
Since the 1950s, rich oil, natural gasuranium, iron, manganese, phosphate, etc.along withmineral resourcesThe large-scale exploitation has changed the economic outlook of some countries in the region. For example, Libya and Algeria have become the world's major oil producers, and Niger has become a famous oil producer.There are also road networks, air routes and new settlements in the desert.
Metallic mineralsIt is quite important economically.Algeria has several large iron ores, and the reserve of Mount Ijill in the west of Mauritania is also considerable;Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Western Sahara Desert and Niger have slightly less storage capacity.
Southwest MauritaniaAkrut(Akjoujt), AlgeriaBethalThere is a large amount of manganese ore in the south of Bechar.Uranium is widely distributed in the Sahara Desert, especially in Niger.Morocco and the Western Sahara Desert are extremely rich in phosphate.
Fuel resources include coal, oil and natural gas.The coal comes from the anthracite coal seam in Morocco and the bituminous coal field near Beshar.the Second World WarLater, with the development of AlgeriaSalah (I-n-Salah) discovered oil, and found rich reserves in the western desert of Egypt, the northeast of Libya, and the northeast of Algeria.Tunisia and Morocco have less reserves, and Chad and Niger also have less reserves.[7]
Oil shale has also been found in Sahara.Large natural gas fields have been exploited in Algeria, and smaller ones in Egypt, Libya and Tunisia.
Demographic situation
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The Sahara region is sparsely populated, with an average of less than 1 person per square kilometer.Arabs are the main people, followed by Berber people.Residents and agricultural production are mainly distributed inNile Valley And oasis, some of which are nomadic.
Since 500000 years ago, humans have lived on the edge of the Sahara Desert.Today, there are about 2.5 million people living in the Sahara, mainly inMauritania、MoroccoandAlgeria, ArabicBerber，Tuareg，Sahawiandmoors 。The largest city in the Sahara is the capital of MauritaniaNouakchottIn addition, Algeria'sTaman Rasset，MaliOfTimbuktu, NigerAgadez, LibyanGartAnd ChadianFaya。[7]
Economic situation
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The economic development of the desert is extremely difficult, and the traditional Sahara Desert has hardly changed.During the colonial rule of the Sahara Desert, the colonial authorities had no interest in the economic development of the region.
The desert people get almost nothing from mining, which may be counterproductive.The decline of nomadic life began with the appeasement policy. With the change of economic conditions and the implementation of the formal settlement policy (because it is inconvenient to manage nomadic life), this decline is accelerated.The prevailing poor environmental conditions further encourage nomads to flow into oases and towns, resulting in overcrowding and poverty.
oil fieldThe high wages in Shanghai attract workers, but the traditional life has been destroyed. Besides, there are few job opportunities and they are not permanent.Among the traditional desert products (such as animal skins and wool, surplus fruits and salt), only date, especially in the northern oasis, can maintain its important position in commerce.Although salt is still being refined and sent to the southSudanThe western region now has to compete with cheap imported salt.
Since 1950, the tourism industry has developed considerably, but due to the difficulties in transportation and accommodation, it can only be limited to the edge of the Sahara Desert.
Transportation
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The Sahara Desert, traditionally through camel teams, is slow, hard and dangerous.It is necessary to risk getting lost, overheating, suffocating sandstorms, starvation, thirst and other risks, and may also be robbed.Despite all the dangers and difficulties, the pan Saharan trade along the caravan route connecting the oasis has been going on since a very early time.
Most of the main routes are in the west of the Tibesti Mountains, and the easternmost one is from the Chad River to Bilma in the north, passing throughfezzan (Fezzan) area toTripoli(Tripoli), which has been used for centuries.There are almost no oases to the east of the Tibetis Mountains, butthe NileThe "darb al arbain" in the west was originally the route for transporting slaves.Gold, ivory, slaves and salt were the main items of the early trade, but today, most camel caravans have been closed, only from Yijir, Bilma andMarleyThe residual salt business from Taoudenni still uses the camel team.However, the main routes are still in use, and are only driven by specially equipped vehicles, often escorted by convoys.Year after year, the modern highway extends further along the ancient trade routes in the desert.
FranceFirst founded the Pan Saharan Desert bus service, which is still in operation today.There is an approved truck network outside the main route to drive cars. Of course, you must drive carefully;But in this open desert4WDIt is really necessary to have at least two cars, enough parts and a large number of supplies in case of accidents, fuel, food and water - especially in summer, all special regulations are applicable to all tourists.In large areas, maps are not enough, but navigation methods are necessary.
The regular flights of many international airlines across the Sahara Desert complement the shortage of ground tourism, and local airlines connect major residential centers.Since the "Pan Saharan Desert" in Abadla (near Beshar, Algeria) was abandoned, the railway has rarely developed and only one line has been built for transportationMauritaniaMinerals.
Research and exploration
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The ancient records depicting the Sahara Desert are similar to what we see today - a vast and terrifying obstacle.The Egyptians controlled only their neighboring oases and sometimes the land to the south;Carthaginians obviously continued the commercial relationship with the mainland established as early as the Bronze Age.The Romans' interest in the Sahara Desert has been recorded in the exploration literature from 19 BC to 86 AD.Geographical exploration continued throughout the Middle Ages.
Medieval tourists with religious and commercial motives contributed to a better understanding of the Sahara Desert and its people.
Rare Tombs of Ancient Tribes Found in Sahara Desert
The next serious European exploration of the Sahara began in the 19th century, many of which began accidentallyAfricaThe main waterways in the mainland are of interest.In an attempt to determine the direction of the Niger River, English explorers Joseph Ritchie and George Francis Lyon came in 1819fezzan District, 1822britainExplorers Dixon Denham, Hugh Clapperton and Walter Oudney successively crossed the desert to discover Lake Chad.ScotlandThe explorer Alexander Gordon Laing crossed the Sahara Desert and arrived at the legendary city in 1826TimbuktuBut he was killed there before he came back.French explorer Rene Caillie pretends to be aarabIn 1828, he visited from the south across the Sahara Desert to the northTimbuktuThe younger generation returns.Other famous expeditions were completed by:GermanyHeinrich Barth, geographer (1849-1855)FranceThe explorer Henri Duveyrier (1859-1862) andGermanyExplorers Gustav Nachtigal (1869-1875) and Gerhard Rohlfs (1862-1878).
Since the military occupation of the Sahara Desert by European colonial countries, more detailed explorations have been carried out. By the end of the 19th century, the main characteristics of the desert had been mastered.Although political, commercial and scientific activities in the 20th century have greatly increased the understanding of the Sahara Desert, the vast area is still far away, little known and difficult to reach.
In 1850, the German explorer Bals came to the Sahara Desert for an investigation, and accidentally found ostrich, buffalo and various figures carved on the rock wall.In 1933, the French cavalry came to the Sahara Desert, accidentally in the middle of the desertTassili A group of murals several kilometers long has been found on the Taiwan and Ngazhel Plateau, all painted on the rock shade formed by water erosion, colorful, elegant and harmonious, depicting the scenes of ancient people's life.[8]
There are many animal images in the mural group, each with its own characteristics.The tense scene of animals flying around after being frightened is lifelike and has excellent creation skills, which can be comparable to the outstanding mural art works of any country at the same time.From these animal images, we can reliably infer the natural features of the ancient Sahara.For example, some murals show people hunting hippos in canoes, which indicates that there were rivers with endless water flow in the Sahara.
People are not only difficult to check the painting age of these murals, but also ignorant of those strange shapes in the murals, which has become a mystery in the history of human civilization.
Several Stages of Rock Painting
According to the rock paintings found in the Sahara Desert, these different rock paintings can be divided into several stages:
1. During the buffalo period, from about 35000 BC to about 8000 BC, the rock paintings of this period were produced from about 10000 BC to 8000 BC, and were painted on the rocks with some locally extinct animal milk mixed with paint. These animals include buffalo, elephant, hippo and rhinoceros. The figures in the paintings use sticks, axesBows, arrows and sticks were thrown out to hit the prey, but no javelin was seen. They often wore round helmets.These rock paintings are mainly distributed inAlgeriaSoutheast of, andChadandLibyaDomestic.
2. The period of cattle, from about 7500 BC to about 4000 BC.During this period, local residents began to engage in nomadic life, herding cattle and sheep, and found pottery and polished stone axes, stone mills and arrows in the Neolithic Age, as well as some hunting bows and arrows.The grazing animals were introduced from Asia.Later, some village relics that can gather more people and livestock were also found.
3. Horse period, about 3000 BC to 700 BC.During this period, there were signs that horses, camels and cows were introduced and large-scale agriculture was carried out.Probably around 1220 BCPhoeniciansThey learned to use and forge iron.The local government established a grand imperial alliance stretching from the whole Sahara to Egypt.[8]
Meteorite crater
Researchers are usingGoogle Maps When, unintentionallyEgyptOne of the best preservedMeteorite craterAlthough thousands of years have passed, the impact trace is still clearly visible.
According to the United States《National Geographic》According to the website, in February 2010EgyptandItalyThe research team composed of experts fromGoogle EarthA huge meteorite crater was accidentally found in the remote area of the Sahara Desert.The research team arrived at the crater site.According to the measurement, the widest part of the crater is 45 meters, and the deepest part is 16 meters from the ground.Based on the above data, the researchers estimated that the meteor that hit the Earth weighed about 5000~10000 kg, and its diameter was only 1.3 meters, but its falling speed exceeded 3.5 kilometers per second.
What surprised the researchers most was that the crater still retained its original appearance.Generally speaking, the crater will be gradually eroded or directly buried under the "destruction" of nature, but the impact trace of the crater is still clearly visible.This unusual phenomenon is common in other stars with thin atmosphere, such as the moon, rather than the earth where humans live.
Researchers estimate that this crater was formed thousands of years ago, and may be one of the best preserved craters to date.
For a long time, the Sahara Desert has been like a natural danger that hinders travelers' in-depth exploration.Today, several routes across the desert have been opened, making the adventurers' dreams come true.Travel in the desert is a challenge to human physical strength and intelligence, but it is strange and exciting: travel in the endless desert, away from the noise of the city.It is one of the top 10 strange tours in the world.
Start fromTunisiaorMorocco。Before going deep into the desert, you can first visit the ancient cities, then take a special vehicle to join the tour team and set off in a grand way.Walk through undulating sand dunes and visit primitiveAfrican tribes, looking for treasure in the oasis market.The travel date can be adjusted, but it is basically more than three weeks, and some can extend for two months.Cost: $2500 to $4000.
