| Location: |
Abu Muhariq Plateau, next to an old camel track, connecting Farafra and Assiut.
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| Open: |
no restrictions
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| Fee: |
free
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| Classification: |
 Karst cave.
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| Light: |
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| Dimension: |
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| Guided tours: |
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| Bibliography: |
Gerhard Rohlfs (1875):
Drei Monate in der libyschen Wüste,
Cassel 1875.
G.A. Brook, N. S. Embabi, M. M. Ashour, R. L. Edwards, H. Cheng, J. B. Cowart, A. A. Dabous (2002):
Djara Cave in the Western Desert of Egypt: Morphology and evidence of Quaternary climatic change,
Cave and Karst Science 29 (2): 57-66.
E. Claßen, K. Kindermann, A. Pastoors, H. Riemer (2001):
Djara 90/1 - Felsbildhöhle und Fundplatz eines holozänen Gunstraums der Nordost-Sahara (Ägypten),
Archäologisches Korrespondenzblatt 2001.
( )
R. Kuper (1996):
Between the Oases and the Nile - Djara: Rohlfs' cave in the Western Desert,
In: L. Krzyzaniak/K. Kroeper/M. Kobusiewicz (eds.) Interregional Contacts in the Later Prehistory of Northeastern Africa. Studies in African Archaeology 5. Poznan: 81-91.
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| Address: |
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| Last update: | $Date: 2008/10/09 18:34:20 $ |
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| 24-DEC-1873 | discovered by the German explorer Gerhard Rohlfs during his famous expedition. |
| 1999 | ACACIA expedition surveys and documents cave pictures. |
| 2000 | ACACIA expedition surveys and documents cave pictures. |
The cave is also famous for its cave art, engravings depicting game and people.
They were made during the Holocene wet phase, when this area was occupied by
early hunters/gatherers.
Remains on the surface were dated by C-14 to be 8600-6000 BP.
The Djara region, an area with a size of almost 5 by 10km, was inhabited during
this time.
It was wetter, so life was possible, but there was not enough rain for the
growth of flowstone.
In earlier wet phases the amount of rain was much higher, and the spelethems
were formed during this periods.
They are dated by the 18O method to be mostly of marine isotope stage 5 age.
This cave was rediscovered twice.
After the climate changed, and the people had left the area, the cave was
forgotten for millennia.
It was rediscovered by the German explorer Gerhard
Rohlfs during his famous expedition.
