Acacus Mountains

Acacus Mountains
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official name	Rock-Art Sites of Tadrart Acacus
Location	Ghat District,Libya
Criteria	Cultural: (iii)
Reference	287
Inscription	1985 (9thSession)
Endangered	2016–...
Coordinates	24°50′N10°20′E/ 24.833°N 10.333°E
	Location of Acacus Mountains in Libya

TheAcacus MountainsorTadrart Akakus(Arabic:تدرارت أكاكوس/ALA-LC:Tadrārt Akākūs) form amountain rangein the desert of theGhat Districtin westernLibya,part of theSahara.They are situated east of the city ofGhat, Libya,and stretch north from the border withAlgeria,about 100 kilometres (62 mi). The area has a particularly rich array of prehistoricrock art.

History

Etymology

Tadrartis the feminine form of "mountain" in theBerber languages(masculine:adrar).

Archaeology

The Acacus Mountains were occupied by hunter-gatherers continuously in theHolocenedespite fluctuating climate in theAfrican Humid Period.These sites have been important in understanding food processing and mobility as people adapted to climate variation. Animal domestication as part of theAfrican Neolithicwas introduced in this region by around 7000 BP, and pastoralism and foraging were the primary subsistence strategies of people in this region, not agriculture.

Sites in this region have been split into three main occupation periods: the Early Acacus, Late Acacus, and Pastoral Neolithic. The Early Acacus was a humid period from c. 9810 – 8880 BP characterized by small groups of mobile people living in valleys and along lowland lakes. The Late Acacus (c. 8870 – 7400 BP) was a dry period characterized by more sedentary people in larger groups living in valleys. These people greatly intensified food processing and storage of wild grains and usedgrinding stonesand pottery extensively. The Pastoral Neolithic was characterized by increased mobility in a more humid environment again, and the domestication of animals. These people showed reduced usage of grinding stones.^[1]

Rock art

The area is known for itsrock artand was inscribed as aUNESCO World Heritage Sitein 1985 because of the importance of these paintings and carvings. The paintings date from12,000 BCEto 100 CE and reflect cultural andnatural changesin the area.^[2]

There are paintings and carvings of animals such asgiraffes,elephants,ostrichesandcamels,but also of humans andhorses.People are depicted in various daily life situations, for example while making music and dancing.^[3]^[4]

Giraffe
Elephant
Human figures
Human and animal figures
Human figure

Milk lipids

Tadrart Acacus is also the site of the earliest appearance of processed milk lipids on ceramics, which have been radiocarbon-dated to 7,500BP.^[5]

Vandalism and destruction since 1969

DuringMuammar Gaddafi’s rule from 1969 through 2011, the Department of Antiquities was badly neglected. Since 2005, the search for petroleum hidden underground has placed the rock art itself in danger. Seismic hammers are used to send shock waves underneath to locate oil deposits, and have noticeable effects on nearby rocks, including the ones that house the Tadrart Acacus rock art.^[6]

Looting of ancient artifacts reached a level of crisis.^[7]In response UNESCO called for a major awareness campaign, to heighten awareness of Libya's archaeological and cultural heritage and to alert Libyans that their heritage is "being looted by thieves and destroyed by developers."^[8]

In 2012 following the murder of Gaddafi, efforts were made to train staff through a $2.26 million UNESCO project, with the Libyan and Italian governments. The project included conservation, protection and education. Along with Tadrart Acacus, Libya has four other UNESCO World Heritage sites:Cyrene,Leptis Magna,SabrathaandGhadames.^[9]UNESCO advised that "a centre should be established at Ghat or Uweynat to train the staff in charge of the protection and management of the property and to host a museum which is expected to play an important [role] in terms of awareness raising."^[10]

UNESCO State of Conservation (SOC) reports from 2011, 2012 and 2013 show that at least ten of the rock-art sites have been the object of deliberate and considerable destruction since at least April 2009.^[11]The ambiguity surrounding property boundaries of the World Heritage Site and therefore the property management combined with lack of local understanding of its cultural values were contributing factors in the ongoing vandalism. Conflicts in the area since 2011 led to increased vandalism.^[10]

In May 2013 UNESCO undertook a technical mission to assess the state of conservation the Tadrart Acacus site and to "build-up a strategic plan to enforce the protection and management of this unique cultural and natural context."^[12]

On 14 April 2014 two kinds of vandals were reported, those who thoughtlessly carve their own names beside the ancient rock art and those who deliberately use chemical products to remove the rock drawings.^[13]On April 20, 2014, the French special correspondentJacques-Marie Bourget[fr]was informed by a local journalist fromGhat, Libya,Aziz Al-Hachi, that the UNESCO Rock-Art World Heritage Site of Tadrart Acacus was being destroyed withsledgehammersandscrub brushes.^[14]^[15]

Geography

The Tadrart Acacus have a large variation of landscapes, from different-coloureddunesto arches, gorges, isolated rocks and deepwadis(ravines). Major landmarks include the arches of Afzejare and Tin Khlega. Although this area is one of the most arid in the Sahara, there is vegetation, such as the medicinalCalotropis procera,and there are a number of springs and wells in the mountains.