Rudolph Kuper

WAdI SurA – ThE CAVE Of BEASTSA rock art site in the Gilf Kebir (SW Egypt)

In collaboration with Franziska Bartz, Erik Büttner, Frank Darius,Frank Förster, Lutz Hermsdorf-Knauth, Sabine Krause, Hans Leisen, Heiko Riemer,Jürgen Seidel and András Zboray

AFRICA PRAEHISTORICA 26, Köln 2013545 full colour pages, numerous figures, tables and maps

size 24 x 34 cm, hardcover and half linen-bound, 2 folded plates

NOW

AVAI

LABL

E

70 years after the discovery of the famous “Cave ofSwimmers” in the heart of the Libyan Desert by the “Eng-lish Patient” László Almásy, only 10 km further westalong the edge of the Gilf Kebir plateau, Massimo andJacopo Foggini detected another painted shelter which– with its exceedingly rich and complex imagery – clearlysurpasses all comparable rock art sites in Egypt, if notin the entire Sahara. About 8000 single figures, amongthem numerous hybrid creatures that inspired its name,“The Cave of Beasts”, offer unique insights into daily lifeand spirituality of a so far unknown past cultural world ofabout 8000 years ago and certainly range this shelteramong the most important prehistoric sites of the conti-nent. In order to make this extraordinary cultural heritagebroadly accessible for scientific studies as well as for the

larger public, an interdisciplinary research project waslaunched in 2009, financed by the German ResearchCouncil (DFG), which aims at a comprehensive docu-mentation of the rock art as well as at its placement inthe archaeological context of the surrounding landscape.In summer 2013, the first of three planned volumes willbe published, presenting on 220 double pages the com-plete picture trove of Wadi Sura II in scale 1:2, based onhigh resolution digital photography and straightened by3D laser scanning. The volume will be supplemented by13 articles dealing with the context of the pictures andtheir archaeological setting.

Order from our bookshop at www.hbi-ev.uni-koeln.deMore infos at www.wadisura.phil-fak.uni-koeln.de

Price

85,- € + postage EU 13,- € / world wide 28,- € (air)

115,- $ + postage EU 18,- $ / world wide 38,- $ (air)

73,- £ + postage EU 11,- £ / world wide 24,- £ (air)

Contents

Foreword8

Part I Rudolph KuperFrom nowhere to Hollywood – The story of Wadi Sura 12

András ZborayWadi Sura in the context of regional rock art 18

Frank Förster & Rudolph KuperCatching the Beasts – Myths and messages in rock art 24

Rudolph KuperThe Cologne Wadi Sura Project 28

Heiko Riemer & Franziska Bartz The archaeological survey: Landscape and context of Wadi Sura’s rock art 32

Heiko RiemerDating the rock art of Wadi Sura 38

Hans Leisen, Sabine Krause, Heiko Riemer, Jürgen Seidel & Erik BüttnerNew and integral approaches to rock art recording as means of analysis and preservation 42

Frank FörsterFiguring out: Computer-aided rock art recording and analysis 50

Heiko RiemerRock shelters: Locations of rock art 54

Sabine Krause, Heiko Riemer & Hans LeisenPaints and pigments in the rock art of Wadi Sura 58

Hans Leisen & Sabine KrauseConservation of rock art ‒ A holistic approach 62

Rudolph KuperVisitors and vandals – The impact of desert tourism 66

Frank DariusWadi Sura in its environmental setting 70

Part II User’s guide 82

Grid system of Panels A ‒ E 83

Ortho view of the shelter 84

Panel A ‒ E 86

Selected scenes and figures 488

Engravings 512

References and photo credits 538

HEINRICH-BARTH-INSTITUT e.V. – Jennerstraße 8 – 50823 Köln – GermanyFon +49(0)221.558098 – e-mail: hbi-koeln@web.de – www.hbi-ev.uni-koeln.de