Where can you find the world's largest petroglyph?

A petroglyph is an image created by removing part of a rock surface, using various (and sometimes crude) tools. Petroglyphs have been found etched into the surfaces of caves, canyon walls, and rocky hillsides worldwide. The oldest are considered to be among the great wonders of the prehistoric world. Rock art can be found in all parts of the globe, except Antarctica. Most are located in Africa, Scandinavia, Siberia, Southwestern North America, and Australia. The largest known petroglyph to date, is located in the African nation of Niger.

Situated in a remote stretch of the Sahara known as the Tenere Desert (which means “emptiness” in the local language) is a life-size etching of two giraffes known as the ‘Dabous Giraffe’. Discovered on a sloping sandstone slab in 1987, it is the largest, and one of the finest, examples of ancient rock art found to date. The petroglyph is thought to have been created via scraping, smoothing, and engraving techniques, during the New Stone Age, some 8-10,000 years ago.

The male is over 18 ft (5.4 m) tall. Each giraffe has a line leading down from its mouth to a small human figure. The meaning of the lines remains a mystery. Some believe they indicate that giraffe were hunted or domesticated; others think the lines and human figures may have been added later.

Despite its remoteness, the site has gained attention, resulting in damage to the carvings. The Bradshaw Foundation, under UNESCO, now coordinates the Dabous preservation project.