Wadi Sura — Cave of Beasts and Swimmers

Why it mattersKey Gilf early Holocene cattle herders and hunters rock-art with stratified sequence and regional typology.

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

Built

c. 7000 BCE Beasts 7000 hand stencils; swimmers nearby 6300

Period

Early Holocene (7000–6000 BCE Beasts)

Culture

Gilf early Holocene cattle herders and hunters

Purpose

8000 figures incl. headless beasts and 13,000 hand stencils — largest Saharan cave art enclosure 18 m × 9 m

Rediscovered

Modern excavation 1974

Excavation

Unexcavated

1. c. 7000 BCE Beasts 7000 hand stencils; swimmers nearby 6300

   Initial construction / first occupation at Wadi Sura — Cave of Beasts and Swimmers

2. c. 800 CE major extension

   Major expansion / refurbishment at Wadi Sura — Cave of Beasts and Swimmers

3. 1950 excavation

   Modern rediscovery and scientific excavation of Wadi Sura — Cave of Beasts and Swimmers

• Wadi Sura — Cave of Beasts and Swimmers — Principal Structure

  structure

  structure at Wadi Sura — Cave of Beasts and Swimmers — primary structure

  23.5969° N · 25.2318° E

• Wadi Sura — Cave of Beasts and Swimmers — Complex Annex 2

  complex

  complex at Wadi Sura — Cave of Beasts and Swimmers — outlier feature

  23.5952° N · 25.2326° E

• Wadi Sura — Cave of Beasts and Swimmers — Southern Rock Art

  rock art

  rock art at Wadi Sura — Cave of Beasts and Swimmers — subsidiary complex

  23.5983° N · 25.2310° E

• Wadi Sura — Cave of Beasts and Swimmers — Eastern Structure

  structure

  structure at Wadi Sura — Cave of Beasts and Swimmers — primary structure

  23.5965° N · 25.2315° E