Painted panel, Tassili n'Ajjer, Algeria

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Algeria boasts an incredible wealth of rock art; one of its most celebrated regions is Tassili n'Ajjer, a majestic mountainous plateau that sprawls over a vast expanse of desert landscape in southern Algeria, covering an impressive area of 72,000 km². Over 15,000 remarkable rock paintings and engravings, dating back as far as 12,000 years, can be found in this region. The artwork showcases cattle and wild animals such as giraffe and elephant, as well as human activities like hunting and dancing. This area is particularly famous for its "Round Head" paintings, such as the one depicted here, sometimes referred to as "the Great God of Sefar." They feature depictions of figures with round, featureless heads and formless bodies, often appearing to be floating. Some of these paintings are estimated to be up to 9,000 years old and are among the largest discovered 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.