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Traditional stylistic classifications have not provided conclusive dates for the rock \nart of the Sahara, and the imagery can therefore not be placed securely in its cultural \nor environmental context. This thesis proposes a new methodology in which content \nand patina of the engravings are used to establish a chronological sequence, against \nthe background of changing palaeoenvironmental conditions. This framework can \nthen be used to explore aspects of the relationship between the rock art and the \nchanging Holocene landscape. \nThe engravings of the Wadi al‐Hayat, which were recently recorded by the \nFezzan Rock Art Project, form the basis of this research. A total of 2466 images of \nanimals were individually analysed and entered into a database. The depicted \nspecies are shown to reflect the local fauna, and their habitats coincide with the \npalaeoclimatic conditions of the central Sahara. Additionally, recent \ngeomorphological analyses of the rock surfaces of the Messak provide a chronology \nfor the patina, and show that the formation of each type of patina was dependent on \nenvironmental conditions. Through analyses of the animal engravings, categorised \naccording to positively identifiable species and patina types, this thesis \ndemonstrates a direct correlation between the content (i.e. species depicted) and \npatina of the engravings, and the palaeoenvironment. Both content and patina of the \nengravings indicate a development from wet savanna to dry savanna, and finally to \ndesert conditions, consistent with the Holocene climatic sequence. This provides a \nchronological framework for the engravings and places them into a \npalaeoenvironmental context. The locations of the engravings of each patina group \nalso correspond to the changing lake levels of the al‐Hayat palaeolake identified in \nprevious palaeoenvironmental research projects, which in turn supports the \nchronology of the engravings. \nThrough spatial analyses, the locations and landscapes preferred by the \nengravers for the creation of rock art can be identified, whilst the new chronological \nsequence allows us to explore changes in the cultural conventions that underlie the \ncreation of the engravings. As well as providing a chronological framework and \nenvironmental context for the engravings for the Wadi al‐Hayat, the research \npresented in this thesis therefore has the potential to change our understanding of \nSaharan rock art.
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