Available literature regarding a new interpretation of the

Wadi Sura rock art

1.) Rothert, H.: Libysche Felsbilder. Ergebnisse der XI. und XII. deutschen inner-afrikanischen Forschungs-Expedition (DIAFE) 1933/1934/1935. Darmstadt 1952

2.) Le Quellec, J.- L.; de Flers, P.; de Flers, Ph.; Gimal, N. - C.: Du Sahara au Nil, peintures et gravures d´avant les pharaons. Paris 2005

3.) D´Huy, J.: New evidence for a closeness between the Abu Ra´s shelter (Eastern Sahara) and Egyptian beliefs. Sahara 20 (2009), pp. 125-126

4.) Barta, M. et al.: Ostrovy Zapomneni. El-Heiz a ceske vyzkumy v egyptske Zapadni pousti. Prague 2009, pp. 69 - 75

5.) Barta, M. (text); Frouz, M. (photo): Swimmers in the Sand. Dryada, Prague 2010. (available through Amazon since 4/23/2010; http//www.amazon.com/Swimmers-Sand-Miroslav-Barta/dp/8087025261/ref=sr 1 5?; 106 pages, USD 89,-)

Miroslav Barta is professor of Egyptology at Charles University, Prague. In his book Swimmers in the Sand, which he dedicates to me, Barta presents the results of the work he carried out with his associates during an expedition to Gebel Uweinat and the Gilf Kebir in November 2008. The venture led to the formulation of a new approach towards interpretation of the Wadi Sura rock art, part of which Barta succeeds in linking with that iconography of the later Pharaonic culture related to religion and power. My discovery of a sacrificial altar in a rock shelter (WG 61, Andras Zboray classification) is shown on page 98 (figs. 50 + 51). The altar which has been dated to around 5,700 BC and which was used for ritual purposes until circa 4,000 BC, in “… a certain sense ,.. may be considered the first temple of the ancient Egyptians.” (Barta, M.; Frouz, M., op. cit., p. 99)

Sehlis 4/29/2010

6.) Zboray, A.: Rock art of the Libyan Desert. 2^nd expanded edition. Newbury 2009.

 Contents optimised for 1024 x 768 screen resolution and Microsoft Internet Explorer 7.0
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without the explicit written consent of the publisher.

Expanded Second Edition, © 2005, 2009, András Zboray
Published by Fliegel Jezerniczky Expeditions Ltd.
Newbury, United Kingdom

Outstanding compilation... “by an engaged amateur (sic)…” (R. Kuper: A paradise off rules? Sahara 20(2009), p. 10) which has claim to being a complete list of known rock art sites discovered in the Ouwenat and Gilf Kebir region… “ (H. Riemer: Prehistoric rock art research in the Western Desert of Egypt. Archeo-Nil 19(2009), p. 32).

7.) George, U.: In der Höhle der Himmelsgöttin. GEO Germany 9(2010), pp. 58 - 76

Summary of the spectacular discoveries made in 2008 and in winter 2009/2010 by Miroslav Barta, Carlo Bergmann and Uwe George in the Wadi Sura region.

      Sehlis 8/31/2010

Supplement to George, U.: „In der Höhle der Himmelsgöttin“

“Altar Cave” (WG 61) and the sacrificial altar discovered by me and prominently presented in Uwe Georges article

It has been decided that, for the first time in GEO´s history, Uwe George`s article “In der Höhle der Himmelsgöttin” will be published in all of GEO´s sixteen European subsidiaries. On top of that, Uwe´s story will also be released in countries such as China, India, Russia and Korea. This world wide distribution will focus readers´ awareness, everywhere on this planet, on the recently unveiled treasures of Egypt´s Western Desert.

Against the backdrop of the breathtaking discoveries made since 1999 (discovery of the Road to Yam and Tekhebet, discovery of Djedefre´s Water Mountain, discovery of Biar Jaqub and of the origins of the hieroglyphic script, discovery of the “Mentuhotep inscription” at Gebel Uweinat and discovery of the Foggini-Mestekawi Cave in the Wadi Sura region) one may ask: Where is National Geographic?

Indeed, I had offered my discoveries of the Road to Yam and Tekhebet, of Djedefre´s Water Mountain and of the origins of the hieroglyphic script to that magazine but, although they had celebrated A. M. Hassanein Bey´s discovery of Gebel Uweinat (made during his crossing of the Lybian Desert) in their September 1924 issue, the magazine deliberately rejected my manuscripts arguing “The National Geographic Magazine does not accept unsolicited materials. Our editors meet regularly to discuss possible story ideas… It is extremely difficult to win a first assignment with the Geographic… Because there is a large investment behind each National Geographic article we are conservative in choosing writers, opting for those with well-established reputations… At this time, we have far more interested freelancers than we do assignments… appropriate queries can be sent to the editors of our Traveler and Adventure magazines.”

Are these guys nuts? As a rule, discoveries do not wait for “well-established reputations” to stumble over them. For example, although Hassanein Bey made a remarkable expedition to the Senussiya oasis capital of Kufra in 1920, he was a nobody until he discovered Gebel Uweinat four years later. To me it seems that National Geographic, siding with a few university academics and government clerks, somehow lost its grip on reality. Is it therefore surprising that the magazine missed out on all major Western Desert discoveries? No wonder that the circulation of National Geographic dramatically decreased.

      Sehlis 9/27/2010