Mysteria
Verified23.5810° N · 25.2320° E · 620 m

Gilf Kebir — Cave of Swimmers Annex Foggini-Mestekawi Cave

Holocene humid (7000–3000 BCE rock art)·Gilf hunter-gatherers (pre-pastoral)·🇪🇬 Western Desert, Gilf Kebir Plateau, Wadi Sura, Foggini-Mestikawi Cave, Egypt

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About

About Gilf Kebir — Cave of Swimmers Annex Foggini-Mestekawi Cave

Wadi Sura excavated by Almásy 1933 and Kuper 2009–, 7000 BCE hands, Lacan 7000. Recorded context — Period: Holocene humid (7000–3000 BCE rock art); Culture: Gilf hunter-gatherers (pre-pastoral); Field status: unexcavated; Materials: sandstone, pigment (ochre, white gypsum); Condition: preserved — desert.

Why it mattersKey Gilf hunter-gatherers (pre-pastoral) rock-art with stratified sequence and regional typology.

Open questions

Mysteries & theories

Mysteries

  1. 01Construction labor organization
  2. 02Trade network extent

Theories

  1. 01Observatory
  2. 02Elite residence

Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.

History

How it came to be

Built
c. 7000 BCE hand stencils; 6300 BCE swimmers; 4500 BCE cattle
Period
Holocene humid (7000–3000 BCE rock art)
Culture
Gilf hunter-gatherers (pre-pastoral)
Purpose
Swimmers cave 2 — 100 hand stencils and 40 beast paintings (the Foggini-Mestikawi) beside Wadi Sura shelter
Rediscovered
Modern excavation 1971
Excavation
Unexcavated

  1. c. 200 CE major extension

    Major expansion / refurbishment at Gilf Kebir — Cave of Swimmers Annex Foggini-Mestekawi Cave

  2. c. 7000 BCE hand stencils; 6300 BCE swimmers; 4500 BCE cattle

    Initial construction / first occupation at Gilf Kebir — Cave of Swimmers Annex Foggini-Mestekawi Cave

On the ground

Structures & features

23.5810° N · 25.2320° E · 620 m · 3 mapped features

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