Graff Gwenola, Kelany A. (2013). Paysages gravés : la longue continuité du Wadi Abu Subeira (région d'Assouan, Egypte). In :
Anati E. (ed.). Art as a source of history. Paris : Unesco, p. 315-324. Valcamonica Symposium 2013, 25., Capo di Ponte (ITA), 2013/09/20-26.
Titre du document
Paysages gravés : la longue continuité du Wadi Abu Subeira (région d'Assouan, Egypte)
Année de publication
2013
Type de document
Colloque
Auteurs
Graff Gwenola, Kelany A.
In
Anati E. (ed.), Art as a source of history
Source
Paris : Unesco, 2013,
p. 315-324
Colloque
Valcamonica Symposium 2013, 25., Capo di Ponte (ITA), 2013/09/20-26
The wadi of Abu Subeira coincides with a valley which is today dry and crossed by a fossil stream, on the rock plateau of the eastern desert. It connects the Nile river valley it merges into to the Red Sea. This passage has been used since very remote time, as proved by the evidence of rock art dating back to the Upper Paleolithic up to the contemporary age. The site is included in the area commonly referred to as ‘Lascaux on the Nile’ (Storemyr et al., 2008). There can be found engravings dating back to the Paleolithic, the Pre-dynastic Period, the Pharaonic period, the Hellenistic and Roman periods, the Middle Ages and contemporary ages. The terraces of the wadis also present remains of dwelling sites used since the Middle and Upper Paleolithic. The entrance to the wadi is irrigated and nowadays people of Bedouin origin, members of the Ababda tribe, dwell in it and have made contemporary engravings. The placement of rock art sites shows the demarcation and structuring of the territory. Engravers chose the passage ramifications and the hills in the landscapes. The iconographic themes constitute evidence for the importance of the exploitation of the rich natural resources,access to which is made possible by the wadi: there can be found representations of ships and camel caravans recalling the route to the Red Sea, as well as hunting scenes with wild animals of the desert. More recently, the wadi of Abu Subeira was used to reach the Arabian Peninsula during the Hajj, till about the mid-20th century. The Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities granted the author of this paper permission to lead a study and inventory survey of the rock art and archeological heritage in the area. The intervention will show the early results of the fieldwork, as well as the methodological and scientific aims of the ‘Engraved landscapes’ project, which includes the work led at Assuan.
