Rock engravings from Asli Bou Kerch, Smara, Western Sahara

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Inhaltsverzeichnis
(der kompletten Print-Version)
Luis Alberto Anaya Hernández:
Las nuevas ideas y la Inquisición .................................................................. 9
Joaquín Caridad Arias:
Temas lingüísticos canarios .......................................................................... 23
Julien d'Huy:
Le récit du  Chasseur adroit :
un mythe kabyle à remonter le temps ? ......................................................... 37
Michael Huebner & Sebastian Huebner:
New evidence for a large prehistoric settlement
in an annular geomorphological structure in Southwest Morocco ................ 43
Werner Pichler & Alain Rodrigue:
The rock art site of Hadjart (Taouz, Morocco) ............................................. 51
Andoni Sáenz de Buruaga:
Una nueva estación artística en el Tiris saharaui: presentación
del abrigo rupestre de Lejuad VIII (Duguech, Sahara Occidental) ............... 63
R. Santana Rodríguez, J. M. Pérez Luzardo, J. Pérez-Luzardo Díaz:
El hábitat troglodita en Gran Canaria:
Evolución del hogar desde tiempos prehispánicos ....................................... 89
Susan Searight-Martinet:
Rock engravings from Asli Bou Kerch, Smara, Western Sahara ............. 109
Hans-Joachim Ulbrich:
Die podomorphen Felsbilder von Lanzarote (Kanarische Inseln) ................. 133
Hartwig E. Steiner:
Altkanarische Stätten in Las Playas / El Hierro III:
 Poblado del Letime  – eine Höhen-Siedlung mit Höhlen-Heiligtum? ......... 169
 
108MMALMOGAREN XLII/2011
Searight-Martinet, Susan (2011): Rock engravings from Asli Bou Kerch, Smara,
Western Sahara.- Almogaren XLII (Institutum Canarium), Wien, 109-131
Zitieren Sie bitte diesen Aufsatz folgendermaßen / Please cite this article as follows:
ALMOGAREN XLII/2011MM109
Almogaren XLII / 2011 Wien 2011 109 - 131
Susan Searight-Martinet
Rock engravings from Asli Bou Kerch, Smara,
Western Sahara
Keywords: Western Sahara, Smara, rock engravings, International Workshop on conservation
Abstract:
This article describes 59 rock engravings studied at the site of Asli Bou Kerch IV, a few
kilometres west of the Western Saharan town of Smara. These engravings are not among
those figuring in a recent publication on the six sites identified on the low ridges running
parallel to the Asli Bou Kerch river. Their study confirms the heterogeneity of this series
of sites. The October 2010 International Workshop on the Conservation of African Rock
Art held in Smara is briefly mentioned.
Résumé:
Cet article décrit les 59 gravures rupestres étudiées sur le site de Asli Bou Kerch IV, situé
à quelques kilomètres à l'ouest de la ville de Smara au Sahara Occidental. Ces gravures
ne figurent pas dans une publication récente sur les six sites identifiés le long de l'Oued
Asli Bou Kerch. Leur étude confirme la hétérogénéité de cette série de sites. La reunion
internationale pour la Conservation de l'Art Rupestre Africain, qui a eu lieu à Smara en
octobre 2010, est brièvement évoquée.
Zusammenfassung:
Dieser Aufsatz beschreibt 59 Felsgravuren, die bei der Fundstätte Asli Bou Kerch IV – we-nige
Kilometer westlich der Stadt Smara (Westsahara) – untersucht wurden. Diese Felsbil-der
gehören nicht zu jenen, die bereits in einer jüngeren Publikation über sechs Fundstellen
erwähnt werden, die auf niedrigen Höhenzügen parallel zum Flussbett des Asli Bou Kerch
gelegen sind. Außerdem wird kurz auf den "International Workshop on the Conservation of
African Rock Art" eingegangen, der Oktober 2010 in Smara stattfand.
General background
During the period when the territory known as the Western Sahara (Fig. 1)
was an official Spanish possession (from 1934-1976), considerable archaeologi-cal
research was undertaken by Spanish archaeologists. In many cases this
included the study of rock art, mainly in the northern zone, the Saguiet el Hamra.
The well-known Spanish archaeologists Almagro Basch (1944, 1946, 1971a,
1971b) and Martínez Santa-Olalla (1941a, 1941b, 1944) produced much in-
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formation on the subject, as did researchers such as Morales Agacino (1942),
Mateu (1945/46), Pellicer and Acosta (1972), Balbín Behrmann (1975), and the
Santander Prehistoric Museum team of Cabrillo and Jesus García (1975).
Foreign researchers were not absent from the area, notably Milburn (1972)
and Nowak (1974/75), again in 1977 and Nowak et al (1975).
Known rock art sites to date
A total of 18 sites for this region was catalogued for the Moroccan Ministry
of Culture by Simoneau in 1977 (1), 10 sites not in the catalogue can be included
(2) to which should be added two new sites (Rodrigue 2010 (3), one as yet
unpublished (4).
It is perhaps the moment here to say that so much looting and destruction,
sometimes total demolition, has taken place in this region that it is hard to
evaluate the number of sites and engravings it once contained, without taking
into consideration natural degradation. For instance, Almagro Basch (1944,
1946, 1971a) noted that the Laayoune site (Safia de El Aiun) had been
completely destroyed when he went there in 1946 and that the site of Cerro de
El Aslein Bukerch (Udei Asli bou Querch), considered by him (in 1946) to be
the "best site" was entirely destroyed from 1935 onwards by visitors (Almagro
Basch, 1944). Writing of the site of Asli Gardega, Balbín Behrmann (1975)
noted much destruction (at only 10 km from Smara, this is not surprising).
Nowak (1974/75) and Nowak et al (1975), saw numerous engraved slabs in
different military messes in Smara, the Santander Museum holds a number of
engraved slate slabs, most probably from its mission in 1975, as do numerous
other Spanish museums.
The densest group of sites is centred on Smara, in the middle reaches of the
Saguiet el Hamra river, others stretch down to and around Amgala, four are
close to the more northerly town of Hawza, others are more scattered. Tifariti
(Soleilhavoup, 1997) and Uad Ymal (Nowak, 1974/75) are sites with paintings,
and Pozo de El Farsia is also said to have a few paintings (Almagro Basch,
1946). (See Searight, 2004 p 80, for approximate position of these sites.)
Words of warning
The first is of lesser importance, and concerns the spelling of the names of
the sites, as given in notes 1 and 2. Understandably, each researcher rendered
the site name phonetically, in his own language, as his informant indicated.
This original spelling has been kept here (with occasional alternative spelling)
although requiring a certain amount of linguistic gymnastics on the part of the
reader.
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The second word of warning is more serious. While many researchers have
published reports on the area, not all knew exactly where they were. Many
judged "their" site to be totally new, whereas in fact part at least had already
been published – a fact ignored or simply unknown (see Searight, 2004, pp
225-227, for a discussion on the problem of duplicated sites).
Doubt also floats over another series of sites, still apparently quite unknown,
the contents of which are equally curious, corresponding in some cases to
subjects unknown elsewhere. But as only the text, without illustrations, is
available it is difficult to form a valid opinion.
The site of Asli Bou Kerch IV
The handsome, recently published Gravures rupestres de la Province d'Es-
Semara (Al-Khatib et al, 2008) (referred to hereafter as GRPS) is a welcomed
addition to the rather rare and scattered documentation on the rock art of the
Western Sahara. Six of the eight sites studied lie to the west of Smara (Asli
Bou Kerch I-VI), with two others (Oued Tazouwa (Oued Tasua) and Oued
Miran) to the south-east. The authors noted that the engravings west of Smara
formed six clearly separated groups on the low sandstone outcrops extending
some 50 kms more or less parallel to the river of Asli Bou Kerch. Going from
south to north, they called their sites Asli Bou Kerch I, II, III, IV, V and VI, in
preference to the original names used by the earlier researchers (5).
It is this nomenclature that is retained in this article.
The authors state (GRPS, p 20) that every engraved image was recorded
and photographed in the field and its exact position noted by GPS, to be later
also reproduced as drawings. They refer to a "corpus", which implies a com-plete
coverage of the eight sites.
The present article concerns a short visit to the site of Asli Bou Kerch IV in
October 2010. Some 50 engraved rocks were photographed, starting from the
newly opened Conservation Centre beside the Laayoune-Smara road, about
20 km from Smara (Fig. 2), containing 59 images. Four of these engravings
figure in the recent corpus of Smara engravings (GRPS, Açli Bou Kerch IV,
Plates 1,6,8,9) (6). .
The engravings are scattered on loose blocks and fixed slabs on the low-lying
sandstone ridge that makes up the site. The majority of the images are
pecked, some well (eg Fig. 3), others more crudely (Fig. 4). Some with polished
lines (but not all) are definitely of the pure Tazina style, well-known elsewhere.
However, it can be pointed out here that these elegant polished engravings are,
to our modern eyes, far more aesthetic than the rougher pecked images and
thus had more theft appeal.
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The subjects represented in these 59 engravings are indicated in the table
below:
Comments on the engravings
The high number of unidentifiable animals (Figs. 4-9) is sometimes due to
damage to the support or weathering, but more often to doubt about the artist's
intentions. Some may be bovids (Figs. 4,7,8), two may be giraffes (Fig. 5),
antelopes are perhaps featured in Figs. 6 and 9, the top animal in Fig. 8 could
be a dog.
In the gazelle/antelope category (Figs.10-15), one large (about 60 cm), well
executed engraving, with firm, flowing polished lines, is an oryx (Fig.10),
three are gazelles (Figs.11-13), Fig. 15 may show an oryx, the exact species of
the two others is not clear.
The bovids (Figs. 9,16,17,18) have horns that are either forward-pointing or
twisted. Two particularly fine large (both around 60 cm long), polished
specimens (Figs.16,17) are so similar in execution to the oryx of Fig.10 that it
is hard not to see them as part of the same group.
The ostriches are twice shown as a group of three (Figs. 20,21) conforming
to their habit of moving as a flock. Fig. 19 shows a particularly elegant bird,
unfortunately broken, in true Tazina style. Fig. 22 is only just recognisable as
an ostrich.
One rhinoceros (Fig.23) is shown with a small one just in front, again
conforming to the known habit of the female rhinoceros of keeping her off-spring
with her. Fig.24 is more roughly engraved.
Two engravings are certainly Barbary sheep (Figs.3,25) the upward and
outward curving of the horns being unmistakable. The third animal (Fig.26),
classified here as a Barbary sheep, may in fact be an ibex.
Subject N° Technique Patina
Unidentified animal 17 4 polished, 13 pecked 7 as rock support, 1 darker, 9 lighter
Gazelle, antelope 7 5 polished, 2 pecked 4 as rock support, 2 darker, 1 lighter
Bovid 4 3 polished, 1 pecked 3 as rock support, 1 lighter
Ostrich 8 4 polished; 3 pol.+peck;1 pecked 7 as rock support; 1 darker
Rhinoceros 3 All pecked All lighter than rock support
Barbary sheep 3 All pecked All lighter than rock support
Sign 8 All pecked All lighter than rock support
Enigmatic 9 2 polished, 7 pecked 2 as rock support, 7 lighter
TOTAL 59 18 polished., 38 pecked.,
3 polished+pecked
23 as rock support, 4 darker, 32 lighter
Table 1 - Subjects engraved, technique used and colour of patina compared to rock support
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One sign is a small cross (Fig.27), three other signs (on two different rocks)
are identical: a circle with an upward curving 'tail' (Figs.8,28), one is a zigzag
(Fig.29).
Of the nine engravings defying interpretation, the two polished ones (Fig.
30) have the same patina as the rock support, the seven pecked ones are lighter.
Comments on the site of Asli Bou Kerch IV
The 59 engravings recorded in this article, added to the 65 published in
GRPS (counting those reproduced again here), confirm the great variability of
these Asli Bou Kerch sites. This variety is not surprising, in view of the distance
covered by the six sites. Large, firm, well engraved, polished images such as
those in Figs. 10,16,17 occurring at the beginning of the Asli Bou Kerch IV
site, are followed by a series of pecked engravings in different styles,
interspersed here and there with a small, genuine Tazina-style image. Subjects
present on the other published Asli Bou Kerch sites, such as anthropomorphs,
chariots, elephants, lions and tifinar inscriptions, are absent here. Interestingly,
none of the six Asli Bou Kerch sites contain Libyco-Berber horsemen, probably
due to a later, unsuitable climatic and vegetational environment.
Rock art sites in danger
The engravings described above were studied during a visit to the site of
Asli Bou Kerch IV, as part of the activities of the international workshop on
"Conservation of African Rock Art. Challenges of Theft and Vandalism" held
in Smara from 19-21st October 2010. The workshop was organised by the
Moroccan Ministry of Culture's Directorate of Cultural Heritage and TARA
(Trust for African Rock Art) in partnership with two Moroccan associations.
The workshop participants were present at the inauguration of the site centre
of Asli Bou Kerch, designed to protect the site (Fig.2), and were able to visit
briefly the nearly site of Asli Bou Kerch IV.
Over 50 participants from 19 countries attended the workshop and addressed
the need to create national and international awareness of the threats to rock
art in Africa and the challenges of conservation, and were called on to propose
innovative and relevant conservation measures. The recent case of vandalism
to painted shelters in the Acacus (Libya) was presented by a member of the
Italian Libyan Archaeological Mission in the Acacus and Messak.
The meeting ended by emphasizing the universal value of rock art, its
vulnerability and the need for communities to play a vital role in protecting it.
A massive total of 19 recommendations were made by the participants, and it
is to be hoped that some at least will be implemented.
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References
Al-Khatib, A., Rodrigue, A. & Ouachi, M. 2008. Gravures rupestres de la
Province d'Es-Semara. Editions Marsam, Rabat
Almagro Basch, M. 1944. El arte prehistórico del Sáhara español. Ampurias 6,
p 273-284
Almagro Basch, M. 1946. Prehistória del Norte de Africa y del Sáhara Español,
Barcelona
Almagro Basch, M. 1971a. Las representaciones de carros en el arte rupestre
del Sáhara español. Trabajos de Prehistória, 28, p 183-210
Almagro Basch, M. 1971b. A propósito de unos objetos hachiformes repre-sentados
en el arte rupestre del Sáhara Occidental. Munibe, 1, p 25-35
Balbín Behrmann, R. de. 1975. Contribución al estudio del arte rupestre del
Sáhara español. Unpublished doctoral thesis, Madrid.
Cabrillo, N. & Jesús García, P. 1975. Expedición al Sáhara dirigida por el Museo
de Prehistória de Santander. Publicaciones del Patronato de las Cuevas
Prehistóricas de la Provincia de Santander. Sautuola, I, p 81-108.
Martínez Santa-Olalla, J. 1941a. Las primeras rupestres del Marruecos español.
Atlantis, Actas y Memorias de la Sociedad Español de Antropología, Etno-logía
y Prehistória, 16, p 438-442
Martínez Santa-Olalla, J. 1941b. Obras de arte prehistóricas en el Sáhara
Español. Mauritania, 165, p 233-235
Martínez Santa-Olalla, J. 1944. El Sáhara español anteislámica. Madrid, Min.
Educ. Nacional
Mateu, J. 1945/46. Nuevas aportaciones al conocimiento del Arte Rupestre
Español. Ampurias, VII-VIII, p 49-65
Milburn, M. 1972. Felsbilder und Steinbauten in der östlichen Saguia el Hamra,
Spanische Sahara. Almogaren III
Morales Agacino, E. 1942. Grabados rupestres del Sáhara español. Mauritania,
XII, p 373-79
Nowak, H. 1974/75. Neue Felsbildstationen in der Spanischen Sahara. Al-mogaren,
V-VI.
Nowak, H. 1977. Die Felsbilder von Amgala, Westsahara, Almogaren, VII, p
123-131
Nowak, H., Ortner, S. & Ortner, D. 1975. Felsbilder der Spanischen Sahara.
Graz. Akademische Druck- und Verlagsanstalt
Pellicer, M. & Acosta, P. 1972. Aportaciones al estudio de los grabados rupestres
del Sáhara Español. Tabona l, p 3-26. Canary Islands.
Rodrigue, A. 2010. Les gravures rupestres de Smara (Sahara Occidental) –
note complémentaire. Almogaren XLI. p 139-148.
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Searight, S. 2004. The Prehistoric Rock Art of Morocco. A study of its ex-tension,
environment and meaning. BAR International Series 1310
Simoneau, A. 1977. Catalogue des sites rupestres du Sud-marocain. Ministère
d'Etat chargé des Affaires Culturelles, Rabat
Soleilhavoup, F. 1997. Un gisement majeur du style de "Tazina" au Sahara
Occidental. International Newsletter on Rock Art, 16, p 1-7
Comments
(1) Lomo de Asli, Udei Asli Bou Querch, Smara, Oued Uein Seluan, Odoloa
Amgala, Oued Miran, Hausa, Gart Temar, Tuccat En Haila, Suiel, Foum
Oued Ben Decca, Pozo Lemcaiteb, Chelja Mairat, El-Farsia, Sidi Mouloud,
Ras Lemtareg, Laayoune, Oued Tasua
(2) Asli Richies (opposite Loma de Asli), Asli Gardega (central part of Oued
Asli), Uad Sfa, Gar Carfarsiat (60 km north of Tifariti), Fet-Seccuna (67 km
W or SW of Mahbes), Cerro Noroeste de Amgala (NW of Amgala), Proa
Sur de Amgala (near Amgala), Koudia Haratani, Tifariti (c 200 km S of Ras
Lentareg), Uad Ymal (SE of Smara)
(3) Sidi Ahmed Laarosi. This site is presumably not far from the site called
Loma de Asli by Almagro Basch (1946:235) and indicated as being close to
the shrine of Sidi Ahmed Laarousi
(4) Laghchiwat (north of Smara), reference Moroccan newspaper Libération,
27 May 2010)
(5) Those working on the earlier published material will find in the new GRPS
that Lomo de Asli has become Asli Bou Kerch V, Udei Asli Bou Kerch is
Asli Bou Kerch VI and (strangely) IV. The sites known in the old literature
as Asli Richies and Asli Gardega are also incorporated in this new nomen-clature.
(6) Nowak et al. (1975) also published some engravings figuring in GRPS.
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Fig. 1. Map of Morocco. The site of Asli Bou Kerch marked by X.
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Fig. 2. Beginning of the site, looking north. Site Centre at top left
Fig. 3. Well-pecked Barbary sheep
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Fig. 4. Crudely pecked inidentifiable animal, possibly a bovid
Fig. 5. The long necks of these unidentified animals may be those of giraffes
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Fig. 6. Possible antelope
Fig. 7. The thin legs might be those of a bovid (or is the image that of a fish?)
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Fig. 8. The pointed ears (?) of the top animal could be those of a dog, the large animal
with circles on its body possibly a bovid. The circle with 'tail' occurs elsewhere.
Fig. 9. 2 of the 3 animals here are possibly antelopes; the one on the right is the
only pecked bovid
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Fig.10. The back-sweeping horns of this antelope denote an oryx
Fig. 11. This gazelle is a good example of a pure Tazina-style engraving
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Fig. 12. The horn shapes of this pecked animal show it to be a gazelle
Fig. 13. A gazelle in Tazina style
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Fig.14. An antelope on the left, an unidentified animal on the right
Fig.15. A pecked antelope (oryx?), with body intentionally speckled (?)
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Fig.16. A beautiful, well worked, powerful bovid with bent horns
Fig. 17.A very fragmented slab (deliberately broken?) with another polished bovid,
this time with twisted horns
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Fig. 18 A small polished bovid, with forward pointing horns
Fig. 19. A polished ostrich whose firm lines assimilate it to Figs. 10,16,17
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Fig. 20. A group of three ostriches
Fig. 21. A group of ostriches of mixed technique
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Fig. 22. The only completely pecked ostrich
Fig. 23. Two easily recognised rhinoceros, the smaller one completely pecked
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Fig.24. A probable rhinoceros
Fig.25. A Barbary sheep
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Fig.26. This completely pecked animal with very heavily accentuated forward
pointing horns, may in fact not be a Barbary sheep but an ibex
Fig.27. A small cross and an enigmatic figure
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Fig.28. Circle with tail (a second one lies further left). See also Fig.8 for similar images
Fig.29. A zigzag
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Fig.30 A polished enigmatic engraving