The Green Sahara: Ancient Ecosystems and Archaeological Discoveries

Milo Rossi reveals the Sahara's rich history, showcasing its transformation from a lush grassland to a barren desert over thousands of years.

### The Hidden History of the Green Sahara: Discoveries and Climate Shifts
* 🌍 In the year 2000, a team led by paleontologist **Paul Sereno** made a groundbreaking discovery in the Nigerian Sahara Desert, uncovering **human fossils** that shifted the focus from paleontology to **archaeology**.
* 🦖 Initially investigating dinosaur fossils, the team found a fragment of a human skull, revealing that they were on an archaeological site containing **elaborate burials from ancient cultures**.
* 💀 Among the discoveries were the remains of the "**accordion man**," a **9,500-year-old skeleton**, and the "**Halloween Man**," a **7,000-year-old skull**, demonstrating the area's **rich historical significance**.
* 🌿 The findings indicated that the Sahara was once a **lush, fertile grassland** during the African humid period, a time when it supported **diverse life**, contrasting sharply with its current **arid state**.
* 🌧 This green Sahara phase, occurring roughly **every 21,000 years**, was driven by the Earth’s climatic cycles, which included changes in **solar radiation and monsoon patterns**.
* 🗺 Historical explorers like Heinrich Barth and Laszlo Almasy had previously hinted at the Sahara's **verdant past** through cave paintings depicting humans and animals, further corroborating the existence of **ancient ecosystems**.
* 💧 Recent studies have revealed extensive paleo drainage systems, such as the **Kufra River**, which once **transported water across the region**, supporting **large populations and complex cultures**.
* 🔍 The evidence suggests that the Sahara's transformation from a **vibrant habitat to a desert** is a complex interplay of natural climatic shifts and human history, inviting us to explore the lives of those who once **thrived in this now-barren landscape**.

### The African Humid Period: Unveiling the Archaeological Riches of the Sahara
* 🌍 The African humid period, which began around 800,000 years ago, is a significant climatic phase that transformed the Sahara into a **lush environment with abundant water sources**, notably **rivers and lakes**.
* 💧 Evidence suggests that a riverbed in the Sahara may date back as far as **50 million years**, indicating a **complex geological history** shaped by plate tectonics, although this aspect will not be explored in detail here.
* 🏞 During its peak in the Cenezoic period, this river possibly had a discharge **comparable to that of the modern Nile River**, flowing approximately **100,000 cubic feet per second** or **2,830 cubic meters per second**.
* 🔍 Research in the Sahara has been limited, as reflected by the **absence of a Wikipedia page** for the Wadi Sahabi River, yet advancements in archaeology are finally **shedding light on this historically rich region**.
* 🌊 The existence of large bodies of water, like Lake Mega Chad, which was **once over 600 feet deep** and covered an area **larger than the Caspian Sea**, highlights the potential for **significant archaeological discoveries** linked to ancient human settlements.
* 👥 The Gobero site, located near Lake Chad, serves as a **crucial archaeological reference**, revealing the lives of the Kiffians and Tenerians, who thrived in this fertile environment and left behind **remarkable burial practices and artifacts**.
* 🪦 Notable burials, such as the "Accordion Man" and the "Turtle Man," illustrate the cultural practices of these ancient peoples, emphasizing their **humanity and connection to the land**, which has since transformed into the **arid Sahara** we know today.
* 📚 Understanding the past, including the **environmental shifts that led to the Sahara's current state**, is essential for interpreting contemporary issues and recognizing the **shared humanity of those who lived in this once-vibrant landscape**.

The Ghosts of the Green Sahara

Miniminuteman

Discoveries in the Sahara: Uncovering the Green Sahara's Secrets

A team led by paleontologist Paul Sereno made a groundbreaking discovery in the Nigerian Sahara Desert in 2000, finding a fragment of a human skull and a sprawling ancient cemetery with well-preserved burials.

The graves, dating back 10,000 to 4,000 years ago, tell the story of a time when the Sahara was a lush and fertile grassland, challenging the perception of the desert's history.

Previous explorations, including Heinrich Barth's cave paintings and Laszlo Almasy's Cave of Swimmers, provided early hints of the Sahara's vibrant past and the presence of water and human cultures.

The Green Sahara: A Historical Transformation

The Sahara was once a lush green grassland between 16,000 and 5,000 years ago, a fact now supported by archaeological, botanical, and geological evidence.

The Earth's movements, including its orbit, axis tilt, and wobble, create cycles that influence the planet's climate, with the wobble being crucial in the Sahara's transformation.

During the African humid period, the Sahara experienced a 7% increase in solar radiation, leading to hot air rising and creating a low-pressure zone that allowed for cold, moist air from the Atlantic Ocean to rush in, resulting in seasonal monsoons and the Sahara's greening.

The African humid period, occurring every 21,000 years for the last 800,000 years, brought massive seasonal rains to the Sahara, creating a unique environment for its inhabitants.

The Wadi Sura, home to the Cave of Swimmers, features stunning rock art depicting shepherds, livestock, and wild animals, with the Cave of Beasts showcasing nearly 5000 pieces of art.

The narrator, Milo, emphasizes the importance of understanding manmade climate change and promotes independent jewelry pieces inspired by the Cave of Swimmers.

The Wadi Sura, located at the southern end of the Gilf Kebir Plateau, features dry riverbeds that were once shaped by intense monsoon rains 10,000 years ago.

These rains created two small freshwater lakes, which fluctuated in size and played a crucial role in sustaining life and biodiversity in the area.

The unique environment, resembling a savanna, provided fields of tall grasses, acacia trees, and a variety of wildlife, supporting human populations for thousands of years.

The Paleo Drainage System of North Africa

The monsoon seasons during the African humid period brought massive seasonal rains to northern Africa, leading to the formation of a significant paleo drainage system in Libya.

This system, identified by a research team, covered over 150,000 square miles and included three major watersheds, ultimately flowing into the Kufra River.

The ancient river's remains can still be seen today, and it is believed to have flowed into the Wadi Sahabi Paleo River, which had a massive channel and depth, predating the African humid period by millions of years.

The Significance of Water Bodies in the Sahara's History

The connection between a river system and Wadi Sahara was established 15 million years ago, with water flowing to the Mediterranean Sea during African humid periods.

The Sahara has received little research attention, but its ancient water bodies hold potential for significant archaeological discoveries.

Lake Mega Chad, once much larger, played a crucial role in the region's history and is now the lowest point of a former massive lake bed.

The Formation and Impact of Mega Lake Chad

Mega Lake Chad, larger than the Caspian Sea, formed over 10,000 years ago from monsoon rains and the overflow of two smaller lakes.

The lake's existence supported a rich ecosystem with mussels, seagrass, fish, and birds, but its level dramatically fell and the lake disappeared within a thousand years.

The nearby Gobero site, with human burials and habitation, provides crucial evidence of life during the African humid period, with the Kiffians arriving around 9,700 years ago, drawn by the lake's natural resources.

The Accordion Man, a 9,500-year-old skeleton, is known for his compact burial and tall stature, reflecting a common trait among the Kiffian people.

The Turtle Man, buried 7,000 years ago in a turtle shell, represents the cultural shift to the Tenerians, who also practiced tight binding in their burials.

The Stone Age Embrace, a heartbreaking grave of a woman and two children holding hands, raises questions about their fate and highlights the humanity of the individuals involved in the burials.

The Reverence of the Tenerian People for the Dead

The Tenerian people showed great reverence for their dead, as evidenced by elaborate burials and the use of rare flowers.

They had extensive trade networks, as indicated by the diverse stone tools and decorative pieces found at the site.

The changing climate eventually drove them to rely on agriculture and animal husbandry, leading to the last human inhabitants departing the area around 3000 years ago.

The Impact of Climate Change and the Importance of History

Humanity has faced various catastrophic events, leaving a lasting trauma from climate change.

The Green Sahara's cultural similarities between different groups suggest a shared ancestral language and exposure to biodiversity.

Understanding history and science is crucial for interpreting the present and future, as well as combating pseudoscience.