| Abstract: | The magnificent rock paintings in the Sahara are widely known—the ‘Round Head’ figures; the enigmatic compositions; and the great herds that are encountered from the Tassili to the Aïr. However, each new expedition still brings new discoveries which call into question what was previously believed. The author of this article analyses the different styles of Saharan rock painting, warning against rash interpretations. His analysis of the pastoral phase in the light of ethnographic evidence establishes an interesting relationship between the Neolithic herdsmen of the Sahara and the Peuls, the herdsmen from the bend of the Niger who are assumed to have migrated during the desiccation of the Sahara. |
