07/11/2023 By Kane Khanh
Located in the Messak Plateau in southwest Libya near the borders of Algieria and Niger, Wadi Mathendous contains some of the worldโs oldest rock art. Incised onto the rock face of the cliffs of the dried riverbed is a veritable prehistoric menagerie, including life-size elephants, giraffes, and crocodiles. Some figures are displayed alone, while others are in complicated compositions in battle with other animals or with humans. One of the more well-known scenes from the Wadi Mathendous petroglyphs is the Fighting Cats. In recent times Wadi Mathendous became a popular tourist destination, however, without proper site management, visitors climbed on rocks to touch the carvings. Substantial damage was also caused by underground vibrations from nearby oil drillings. This sheared several large fragments of stone off the rock face. While the Libyan government recognized the important of the art, little was done to control tourists, mitigate mining activities, or to ensure the petroglyphsโ preservation.