Tassili n'Ajjer

For the album by Tinariwen, see Tassili (album).

UNESCO World Heritage Site
Tassili n'Ajjer
Name as inscribed on the World Heritage List
Landsat multilayer image of the Tassili n'Ajjer
Type	Mixed
Criteria	i, iii, vii, viii
Reference	179
UNESCO region	Arab States
Coordinates	25°10′00″N 8°10′00″E / 25.166667°N 8.166667°E / 25.166667; 8.166667Coordinates: 25°10′00″N 8°10′00″E / 25.166667°N 8.166667°E / 25.166667; 8.166667
Inscription history
Inscription	1982 (6th Session)
Location of Tassili n'Ajjer in Algeria.

Tassili n'Ajjer (Berber: Tasili n Ajjer, meaning "Plateau of the Rivers"; Arabic: طاسيلي ناجر‎‎) is a mountain range in the Algerian section of the Sahara Desert. It is a vast plateau in south-east Algeria at the borders of Libya and Niger, covering an area of 72,000 km².

Prehistoric art

The range is also noted for its prehistoric rock art and other ancient archaeological sites, dating from the Neolithic era when the local climate was less dry, savannah rather than desert. The art is no older than 9–10 millennia, according to OSL dating of associated sediments, but may be younger.^[1] The art depicts herds of cattle, large wild animals including crocodiles, and human activities such as hunting and dancing. According to UNESCO, "The exceptional density of paintings and engravings...have made Tassili world famous as from 1933, the date of its discovery. 15,000 engravings have been identified to date."^[2]

Geography

The Tassili n'Ajjer range extends from 26°20′N 5°00′E / 26.333°N 5.000°E / 26.333; 5.000 east-south-east to 24°00′N 10°00′E / 24.000°N 10.000°E / 24.000; 10.000, and the highest point is Adrar Afao, 2158 m, at 25°10′N 8°11′E / 25.167°N 8.183°E / 25.167; 8.183. The nearest town is Djanet, about 10 km southwest of the range. Much of the range, including the cypresses and archaeological sites (see below), is protected in a National park, Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Site, named the Tassili n'Ajjer National Park.

The plateau is also of great geological and aesthetic interest: the panorama of geological formations with "rock forests" of eroded sandstone resembles a strange lunar landscape.^[3]

Geology

The range is composed largely of sandstone. Erosion in the area has resulted in nearly 300 natural rock arches being formed, along with many other spectacular landforms.

Ecology

Because of the altitude and the water-holding properties of the sandstone, the vegetation here is somewhat richer than in the surrounding desert; it includes a very scattered woodland of the endangered endemic species Saharan Cypress and Saharan Myrtle in the higher eastern half of the range.

The ecology of the Tassili n'Ajjer is more fully described in the article West Saharan montane xeric woodlands, the ecoregion to which this area belongs. The literal English translation of Tassili n'Ajjer is 'Plateau of the rivers' referring to a time when the climate was repeatedly far wetter than it is today (see Neolithic Subpluvial).

Relict populations of the West African crocodile persisted in the Tassili n'Ajjer until the 20th century.^[4]

In popular culture

Tassili is the recording location and the title of a 2011 album by the Tuareg-Berber band Tinariwen.
In his 1992 book Food of the Gods, new-age icon Terence McKenna hypothesized that the Neolithic culture that inhabited the site used psilocybin mushrooms as part of its religious ritual life, citing rock paintings showing persons holding mushroom-like objects in their hands, as well as mushrooms growing from their bodies.
Tassili Plain is a track on the 1994 album Natural Wonders of the World in Dub by dub group Zion Train.

Gallery

Rock-Art, Saharan Cypress and Landscapes of the Tassili

Tassili n'Ajjer National Park
IUCN category II (national park)
Location	Tamanrasset Province, Algeria
Coordinates	25°10′0″N 8°10′0″E / 25.16667°N 8.16667°E / 25.16667; 8.16667Coordinates: 25°10′0″N 8°10′0″E / 25.16667°N 8.16667°E / 25.16667; 8.16667
Area	72,000 km²
Established	1972

References

↑ Mercier, Norbert; Le Quellec, Jean-Loïc; Hachid, Malika; Agsous, Safia; Grenet, Michel (July 2012). "OSL dating of quaternary deposits associated with the parietal art of the Tassili-n-Ajjer plateau (Central Sahara)". Quaternary Geochronology. 10: 367–373. doi:10.1016/j.quageo.2011.11.010. Retrieved 7 March 2013. Cite uses deprecated parameter |coauthors= (help)
↑ "Tassili n'Ajer". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
↑ "Tassili National Park, Sahara Algeria". Archmillennium.net. Retrieved 2012-12-16.
↑ "Crocodiles in the Sahara Desert: An Update of Distribution, Habitats and Population Status for Conservation Planning in Mauritania". PLOS ONE. 25 February 2011.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tassili n'Ajjer.

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Tassili n'Ajjer Cultural Park.

Mountains of Algeria

Tell Atlas	Blidean Atlas Babor Mountains Beni-Chougrane Bibans Mount Chenoua Numidian Range Dahra Range Djurdjura Edough Kroumirie Ouarsenis Medjerda Mountains Murdjajo Constantine Mountains Saïda Mountains Tlemcen Mountains Titteri Tessala Range Trara Yemma Gouraya

Saharan Atlas	Amour Range Aurès Mountains Belezma Range Hodna Mountains Ksour Range Ouled Naïl Range Nememcha Range Zab Mountains

Saharan massifs	Ougarta Range Ahaggar Mountains Teffedest Mountains Tassili n'Ajjer Tadrart Rouge Adrar des Ifoghas

Peaks	Achaoun Anneb Djebel Antar Djebel Azao Djebel Chélia Djebel Grouz Djebel Guetiane Djebel Tsili Koudiat Béni Arif Koudiat Sidi Abdelkader Lalla Khedidja Maouna Mount Babor Mount Bissa Mount Issa Mount Tahat Mount Tamgout Mount Zaccar Pic des Singes Taourirt Tan Afella Thaletat

Geography of Algeria List of mountains in Algeria Atlas Mountains Hautes Plaines Kem Kem

World Heritage Sites in Algeria

Al Qal'a of Beni Hammad Djémila Casbah of Algiers M'Zab Valley Tassili n'Ajjer Timgad Tipasa

National Parks of Algeria

Ahaggar Belezma Chréa Djurdjura El Kala Gouraya Tassili n'Ajjer Taza Théniet El Had Tlemcen

Prehistoric technology

Tools

Farming

Food processing

Hunting

Arrow Boomerang throwing stick Bow and arrow history Nets Spear Spear-thrower baton harpoon woomera Schöningen Spears

Projectile points	Arrowhead Bare Island Cascade Clovis Cresswell Cumberland Eden Folsom Lamoka Manis Site Plano Transverse arrowhead

Systems	Game drive system Buffalo jump

Toolmaking

Other tools

Architecture

Ceremonial	Göbekli Tepe Kiva Standing stones megalith row Stonehenge Pyramid

Dwellings	Neolithic architecture British megalith architecture Nordic megalith architecture Burdei Cave Cliff dwelling Dugout Hut Quiggly hole Jacal Longhouse Mud brick Mehrgarh Neolithic long house Pit-house Pueblitos Pueblo Rock shelter Blombos Cave Abri de la Madeleine Sibudu Cave Stone roof Roundhouse Stilt house Alp pile dwellings Wattle and daub

Water management	Check dam Cistern Flush toilet Reservoir Water well

Other architecture	Archaeological features Broch Burnt mound fulacht fiadh Causewayed enclosure Tor enclosure Circular enclosure Goseck Cursus Henge Thornborough Oldest buildings Megalithic architectural elements Midden Timber circle Timber trackway Sweet Track

Arts and culture

Material goods	Baskets Beadwork Beds Chalcolithic Clothing/textiles timeline Cosmetics Glue Hides shoes Ötzi Jewelry amber use Mirrors Pottery Cardium Grooved ware Linear Jōmon Unstan ware Sewing needle Weaving Wine Winery wine press

Prehistoric art	Art of the Upper Paleolithic Art of the Middle Paleolithic Blombos Cave List of Stone Age art Bird stone Bradshaw rock paintings Cairn Carved Stone Balls Cave paintings painting pigment Cup and ring mark Geoglyph Golden hats Guardian stones Megalithic art Petroform Petroglyph Petrosomatoglyph Pictogram Rock art Stone carving Sculpture Statue menhir Stone circle list British Isles and Brittany Venus figurines

Burial	Burial mounds Bowl barrow Round barrow Mound Builders culture U.S. sites Chamber tomb Severn-Cotswold Cist Dartmoor kistvaens Clava cairn Court tomb Cremation Dolmen Great dolmen Funeral pyre Gallery grave transepted wedge-shaped Grave goods Jar burial Long barrow unchambered Grønsalen Megalithic tomb Mummy Passage grave Rectangular dolmen Ring cairn Simple dolmen Stone box grave Tor cairn Tumulus Unchambered long cairn

Other cultural	Astronomy sites lunar calendar Behavioral modernity Origin of language Prehistoric medicine trepanning Evolutionary musicology music archaeology Prehistoric music Alligator drum flutes Divje Babe flute gudi Prehistoric numerals Origin of religion Paleolithic religion Prehistoric religion Spiritual drug use Prehistoric warfare Symbols symbolism

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