Abstract
Rock communications: The interaction of textual and figural graffiti in North Kharga
Ancient travellers of the Darb Ain Amur, a westward offshoot of the famous Darb el-Arbain, connecting Kharga and Dakhla oases, were spending several days in the midst of the Western Desert’s hostile environment. While there, away from the scrutinous eyes of official decorum, these travelers chose to record their fleeting presence by carving textual and figural rock graffiti that often interacted with each other in a meaningful manner. The study of such diachronic interactions provides us with a unique insight into ancient travelers’ uses of desert rock sites.