Intellectual Development of Humans in the Great Sahara Region During the Stone Age

“The Libyan Desert as a Model”

Abstract

Since ancient times, the Great Sahara Desert was teeming with humans and animals, particularly during the Paleolithic periods. The Libyan Desert formed the central part of this vast desert. The geographical location of the Sahara contributed to the influx of human and animal migrations and their settlement there, as it was an attractive region for both humans and animals due to the availability of water resources, vegetation cover, and dense forests. Mountain ranges were once covered with trees and constituted the most important areas of rock art ، The rock engravings and paintings discovered in the Libyan Desert represent the pinnacle of artistic creativity achieved by early human thought. These works were executed on rock surfaces, inside and outside caves, and along valley banks. Rock engravings and paintings went through several stages that were largely similar in content and ideas, while differing in time period, style, and techniques , The stages experienced by the Libyan Desert varied according to changing climatic conditions. The earliest works left by hunters of large animals may date back to a period of high humidity, as indicated by the abundance of large and wild animals. Later, hunting began to lose its role as a means of subsistence, possibly due to the decline in animal populations or the emergence of new economic alternatives. This occurred during the artistic phase known as the “Round Heads” period, when early humans settled near watercourses and began producing pottery. With the onset of aridity, early humans turned to animal husbandry, especially in highland areas, where the creative rock art of the pastoral civilization emerged at its highest levels of style and expression. Subsequently, the horse appeared in response to human needs, and with increasing aridity in the region, the camel emerged—perhaps due to its ability to endure and adapt to desert conditions.