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.
More than 15,000 rock paintings and engravings, dating back as far as 12,000 years are located in this region. The art depicts cattle and wild animals such as giraffe and elephant, as well as human activities such as hunting and dancing.

The area is especially famous for its “Round Head” paintings, such as this one, sometimes called “the Great God of Sefar”. They show depictions of figures with round, featureless heads and formless bodies, often appearing to be floating. Thought to be up to 9,000 years old, some of these paintings are the largest found on the African continent.

This model was created using original photographs from the African rock art image project, supported by the Arcadia Fund. For more information visit www.britishmuseum.org/africanrockart