Algeria hosts a rich concentration of rock art; one of the most renowned areas is the Tassili n’Ajjer, a mountainous plateau covers a vast area of desert landscape in southern Algeria covering an area of 72,000 km².

These skilfully engraved rock art images depict long-horned cattle with their heads bowed. Dating between 7,000-8,000 years ago, today these images stand alone in a vast wilderness of sand and rock. However, this environment was once wetter and more fertile, and this site may have been close to a local watering hole where animals regularly drank and bathed. Even today during the rains, the depression in the sand fills up with water, which gives the appearance that the cows are bending their heads to drink.

This model was created using original photographs (11 total archive photos) from the African rock art image project, supported by the Arcadia Fund. For more information visit http://africanrockart.britishmuseum.org/#/article/crying-cows