Meerkat carvings in the Wadi Mathendous in the Mesak Settafet region.
Mesak Settafet is a massive sandstone escarpment in southwest Libya.[1] It sits at an elevation of up to 300 metres (980 ft).[2] The outcropping is abundant in prehistoric rock art and stone tools, particularly at the Wadi Mathendous site.
There are many distinctive and large prehistoric carvings at the Mesak Settafet escarpment, especially at Wadi Mathendous. The outcropping's exposed stones are covered in a dark varnish or patina containing minerals not currently present in the sandstone. The microns-thick patina of iron and manganese oxides were likely laid down on the rock when the area was much wetter, up to 5000 years ago. The majority of the rock carvings in the area were probably first scratched then ground, likely with water, to create a purposeful finish.[3]
Rock toolsedit
The Mesak Settafet is littered with stone tools from the Pleistocene and later ages. A recent survey of randomly selected areas in the region estimated the tool density to be as high as 75 per square metre (7.0/sq ft) in places.[2] The researchers for the Libyan Department of Antiquities used this figure to call the escarpment the earliest evidence of an anthropogenic environment.
^ abRobert A. Foley; Marta Mirazón Lahr (2015). "Lithic Landscapes: Early Human Impact from Stone Tool Production on the Central Saharan Environment". PLOS ONE. 10 (3): e0116482. Bibcode:2015PLoSO..1016482F. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0116482. PMC4356577. PMID 25760999.
^"Mesak Settafet and Mellet". Temehu. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
External linksedit
University of Cambridge article
Phys.org article
This African archaeology article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
mesak, settafet, meerkat, carvings, wadi, mathendous, region, massive, sandstone, escarpment, southwest, libya, sits, elevation, metres, outcropping, abundant, prehistoric, rock, stone, tools, particularly, wadi, mathendous, site, contents, rock, rock, tools, . 25 45 N 11 50 E 25 750 N 11 833 E 25 750 11 833 Meerkat carvings in the Wadi Mathendous in the Mesak Settafet region Mesak Settafet is a massive sandstone escarpment in southwest Libya 1 It sits at an elevation of up to 300 metres 980 ft 2 The outcropping is abundant in prehistoric rock art and stone tools particularly at the Wadi Mathendous site Contents 1 Rock art 2 Rock tools 3 References 4 External linksRock art editThere are many distinctive and large prehistoric carvings at the Mesak Settafet escarpment especially at Wadi Mathendous The outcropping s exposed stones are covered in a dark varnish or patina containing minerals not currently present in the sandstone The microns thick patina of iron and manganese oxides were likely laid down on the rock when the area was much wetter up to 5000 years ago The majority of the rock carvings in the area were probably first scratched then ground likely with water to create a purposeful finish 3 Rock tools editThe Mesak Settafet is littered with stone tools from the Pleistocene and later ages A recent survey of randomly selected areas in the region estimated the tool density to be as high as 75 per square metre 7 0 sq ft in places 2 The researchers for the Libyan Department of Antiquities used this figure to call the escarpment the earliest evidence of an anthropogenic environment References edit National Geospatial intelligence Agency Mesak Settafet Libya Geographical Names geographic org Retrieved 31 March 2016 a b Robert A Foley Marta Mirazon Lahr 2015 Lithic Landscapes Early Human Impact from Stone Tool Production on the Central Saharan Environment PLOS ONE 10 3 e0116482 Bibcode 2015PLoSO 1016482F doi 10 1371 journal pone 0116482 PMC 4356577 PMID 25760999 Mesak Settafet and Mellet Temehu Retrieved 31 March 2016 External links editUniversity of Cambridge article Phys org article nbsp This African archaeology article is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte nbsp This Libya location article is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Mesak Settafet amp oldid 1043416537, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
