ACTION, RITUAL, AND MYTH IN THE ROCK ART OF EGYPTIAN WESTERN DESERT

This paper reviews the techno-stylistic structure of the rock art in the Egyptian Western Desert in general, and focuses on narrative scenes painted in four caves of the southern Gilf el-Kebir area in particular: El-Qantara, the Cave of Archers, the Cave of Swimmers, and the Cave of the Beasts. Some of these panels repeatedly depict two archetypes: the "weightless humans", and the "central monster". It seems that both acrobatic and mythological aspects similar to these early pastoral scenes may be reflected in later cultural contexts and traditions.