Black Genesis: The Prehistoric Origins of Ancient Egypt
Black Genesis: The Prehistoric Origins of Ancient Egypt
Black Genesis: The Prehistoric Origins of Ancient Egypt
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also depicted in many different types <strong>of</strong> scenes such as hunting, herding, domestic, ritual, and so forth (see plates 23 and<br />
24). <strong>The</strong> fine state <strong>of</strong> preservation <strong>of</strong> the images reveals many interesting details about adornment, shoes, clothing,<br />
implements, weapons, homes, furnishings, and items used by the prehistoric people. Although the cave extends inward<br />
about 8 meters, the deeper reaches are not painted, probably because the ceiling there is too low and dark. Mr. Borda<br />
plans to return to the site with a pr<strong>of</strong>essional photographer to make a composite high-resolution digital montage <strong>of</strong> the<br />
entire painted rock ceiling. A pictorial article will then appear in the SAHARA journal in the middle <strong>of</strong> 2011. Mr. Borda<br />
wished us to also note that Kifah is the name <strong>of</strong> the first daughter <strong>of</strong> the Tuareg Salem Ben Yahya, one <strong>of</strong> Libya’s most<br />
renowned desert guides, who Borda has traveled with on several <strong>of</strong> his expeditions. A day before Borda found the cave,<br />
Ben Yahya greeted Borda with the words “your mother was praying you” instead <strong>of</strong> the usual “good morning.” Ben<br />
Yahya then promptly showed Borda a five-inch yellow scorpion that had scurried out from under Borda’s mattress while<br />
Ben Yahya was gathering up the sleeping gear. <strong>The</strong> species is known as the Death Stalker ( Leiurus quinquestriatus). Ben<br />
Yahya then related the harrowing story <strong>of</strong> how, at the tender age <strong>of</strong> just three months, Kifah was killed in the oasis <strong>of</strong><br />
Rebbiana after the same species <strong>of</strong> yellow scorpion had crept into her bed while she slept. With the tragic story still<br />
ringing in his ears when he found the cave, Borda was moved to dedicate his discovery to the memory <strong>of</strong> Kifah.<br />
A rock painting <strong>of</strong> an aardvark<br />
We wish to thank Mark Borda for kindly allowing us to report this discovery and also for providing us with some<br />
photographs, which he took at the time <strong>of</strong> the discovery. Mr. Borda has been exploring the Libyan Desert since 2005, his<br />
main objective being to seek out possible remains <strong>of</strong> ancient <strong>Egypt</strong>ian presence in its vast wastes and beyond. Apart from<br />
the discovery mentioned above, he has made a number <strong>of</strong> significant discoveries. We were among the first to visit one <strong>of</strong><br />
these in 2008, a site that is now rather dryly referred to in the archaeological world as CC21, but which we prefer to call<br />
the “Borda Cave” in this book. It is unusually located between Gilf Kebir and Jebel Uwainat, an area previously thought<br />
to be devoid <strong>of</strong> rock art. <strong>The</strong> cave contains magnificent prehistoric rock paintings, now considered to be one the very<br />
finest and best preserved prehistoric rock-art sites <strong>of</strong> <strong>Egypt</strong>. Also the now famous “Uwainat Inscriptions” that Borda<br />
found in the southern part <strong>of</strong> Jebel Uwainat proved that the ancient <strong>Egypt</strong>ians <strong>of</strong> the early Middle Kingdom (ca. 2000<br />
BCE) somehow managed to travel the vast distance from the Nile across the totally arid desert without camels to meet<br />
the mysterious “people <strong>of</strong> Yam and Tekhebet,” yet unidentified kingdoms perhaps located in the once fertile sub-Saharan<br />
regions <strong>of</strong> Africa.<br />
Thomas Brophy (left) and Robert Bauval at the Uwainat Inscriptions, April 2008