Thanks Raf. What I find ironic is that this is about Rock Art in Libya - a Country noted for it's exceptional control of litter. ;-)

__________________
Toby

you are right there Toby , i was in Libya a couple of years ago and en route to Nalut and Ghudamis and 60 miles from anywhere there was a fridge and a pile of rubbish and it was about another 120 miles before we came across another village. ? . In other remote parts there was loads of rubbish dumped and obviously not dumped by the travelling community.

The rock art is an area on the south west on the border with Algeria, difficult and arduous to get to so just how many visitors go there ? They have had trouble with guides hired by unesco before
Or is this just a campaign to raise more funds for the heritage site ?

__________________
http://2wheelskeeponrolling.wordpress.com

The last incident I recall where Libyan rock art was defaced involved a Libyan tour guide who was subsequently convicted.

As for overlanders being blamed, its a bit like accusing sailors of stealing the Elgin Marbles.

I always find subjects about conserving the past quite interesting. I seem to recall learning in my history class at school that etchings/paintings/hieroglyphics tend to get defaced over time. This is either done on purpose by succeeding generations, by accident or simply by the passage of time.

Take the Buddhas of Bamiyan for example, destroyed by the Taliban in 2001. There was a huge outcry by UNESCO and I remember reading several articles on the likes of "look at what these rat bags have done".

But surely, this IS history in the making, as is the passage of 'overlanders' in North Africa. It is very hard to conserve parts of the planet when human beings are still in existence.

This reminds me of a 2003 UNESCO report making similar absurd accusations (see below). I always assumed it was J Keenan behind it, as that was the bee in his bonnet at the time, but it wouldn't surprise me if David Coulson and TARA had a hand in it too.

Like JK, DC was not above manipulating facts to make himself took better. Around that time he published a book on African rock art which led with press releases of a 'sensational discovery' of a 30' giraffe engraving just off the road south of Arlit (Niger). I recall going to the book's launch at the RGS. Iirc there was much hoo haa about making a plaster cast of the giraffe and bequeathing it to some museum back in Europe. The press lapped it up and I was amazed myself that such a big engraving had not already be recorded just off the TSH.
An old Saharan hand duly informed me that it had indeed been found ages ago ago by the French (possibly the 50s? - despite what the above link says), along with much more besides.
A couple of years later I met a woman in Agadez with Unimog problems (those 'massive truck and land cruisers' again ...) and who boasted of working with DC on that book. I mentioned the giraffe business nearby, but can't honestly recall her explanation (although I like to think some spluttering was involved ;-)

All true that historical legacies and monuments have been trashed since pharaonic times, but the motivation to drive all the way out to the Sahara to vandalise rock art seems hard to fathom. Much more damage has been done by bored UN soldiers (Western Sahara) or Muslim fundamentalists offended by depictions of human figures (Tamajert, DZ, I think it was).

Ch

p289 the the Sahara book

I'm not sure why some folks are upset: the article didn't say anything that isn't true. If you've travelled extensively then you've surely seen places that used to be beautiful and pristine now downtrodden by too many visitors, and the trash and wear that they bring with them.

About 10 years ago I did a Enfield tour through India. There was one point where tour buses stopped for a cliffside view of a valley with some waterfalls. I hopped off my motorcycle and walked over to enjoy the view. As I stood at the cliff's edge, I looked down and saw a small mountain of food wrappers and other trash scaling down the cliff. When I looked around I noticed that although there were trash barrels only a few meters away, people were chucking there wrappers and bottles over the edge.

I'm not sure what the solution is. You can put a trashcan in front of some people and they still won't bother using it. Maybe some sites do need to be closed off to the public for their protection...

__________________
Bruce Clarke - 2020 Yamaha XV250

I have to disent.

By no means I try to mean that "locals" (don't be picky about the term, had to choose one) are any worse than tourists, since first of all it's their own country/home, so we should be more respectful BUT, in general terms, in developing countries locals tend to be much careless about trashing around than visitors.

Of course, tourists add to garbage, although quite often more in a indirect way, such as more plastic/glass bottles which may not be recycled, etc. But usually, people willing to visit those paintings tend to take good care. Regarding locals and trashing, it's not their fault, but only consciousness and education and a matter of time, as it was the case here before (ex. Industrial revolution).

I recall once a Guatemalan woman asking me to throw her white plastic dish full of chicken bones and a plastic bag with the straw and remains of juice through the window of the yellow ex US school bus. I just got paralyzed before the dylema about what do to. In the end, I just threw it away as she asked. It did not make a big difference to the hundreds I had seen to be thrown, and it was not the right moment for the white man (even worse, Spaniard "conquistador") to teach moral/environmental lessons. However, I did not throw mine, if she wanted to learn from my acts.

So, impact yes, and definitely more than if no overlander is going there. Awareness, as well. And indirectly, protection to the site, since tourism means cash, so authorities will take measures. And one overlander does not damage more than an hord of tourist on a bus, of that I'm sure.

My 2 long/boring cents.

Esteban