Headless Cow Shelter, Site WG 35, 7km fr Wadi Sora II, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 # 56.JPG
Headless Cow Shelter, Site WG 35, 7km fr Wadi Sora II, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2012 # 03.JPG
Headless Cow Shelter, Site WG 35, 7km fr Wadi Sora II, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2012 # 02.JPG
Humans & cattle, Headless Cow Shelter, Site WG 35, 7km fr Wadi Sora II, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 # 40.JPG
Human figures, Headless Cow Shelter, Site WG 35, 7km fr Wadi Sora II, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 # 32.JPG
Humans over older anthropomorphic figures, Headless Cow Shelter, Site WG 35, 7km fr Wadi Sora II, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 # 60.JPG
Headless Cow Shelter, Site WG 35, 7km fr Wadi Sora II, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 # 53.JPG
Headless Cow Shelter, Site WG 35, 7km fr Wadi Sora II, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 # 33.JPG
Headless Cow Shelter, Site WG 35, 7km fr Wadi Sora II, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 # 52.JPG
Headless Cow Shelter, Site WG 35, 7km fr Wadi Sora II, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 # 51.JPG
Person wearing cow-shaped waist skirt, Headless Cow Shelter, Site WG 35, 7km fr Wadi Sora II, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 # 57.JPG
Headless Cow Shelter, Site WG 35, 7km fr Wadi Sora II, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 # 58.JPG
Headless Cow Shelter, Site WG 35, Wadi Sora, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 #12.JPG
Person wearing a cow-shaped waist-skirt, Site WG 35, Wadi Sora, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 #13.JPG
Three cattle & person wearing cow-shaped waist skirt, Site WG 35, Wadi Sora, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 #14.JPG
Headless Cow Shelter, Site WG 35, Wadi Sora, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 #1
Headless Cow Shelter, Site WG 35, Wadi Sora, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 #05.JPG
Headless Cow Shelter, Site WG 35, Wadi Sora, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 #07.JPG
Headless Cow Shelter, Site WG 35, Wadi Sora, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 #06.JPG
Headless Cow Shelter, Site WG 35, Wadi Sora, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 #08.JPG
Archer & white headless cattle, Site WG 35, Wadi Sora, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 #09.JPG
Headless Cow Shelter, Site WG 35, Wadi Sora, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 #10.JPG
Spotted yellow cow, Site WG 35, Wadi Sora, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 #11.JPG
Headless Cow Shelter, Site WG 35, 7km fr Wadi Sora II, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 #18.JPG
Headless Cow Shelter, Site WG 35, Wadi Sora, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 #16.JPG
Headless Cow Shelter, Site WG 35, 7km fr Wadi Sora II, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 # 19.JPG
Headless Cow Shelter, Site WG 35, Wadi Sora, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 #15.JPG
Big cow, Headless Cow Shelter, Site WG 35, 7km fr Wadi Sora II, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 # 35.JPG
Headless Cow Shelter, Site WG 35, Wadi Sora, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 #17.JPG
Headless Cow Shelter, Site WG 35, 7km fr Wadi Sora II, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 # 22.JPG
Archer amid cattle, Site WG 35, 7km fr Wadi Sora II, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 # 20.JPG
Archer & headless white cattle, Site WG 35, 7km fr Wadi Sora II, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 # 21.JPG
Giant yellow bovid & headless white bovids, Site WG 35, 7km fr Wadi Sora II, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 # 23.JPG
Yellow & white cattle, Headless Cow Shelter, Site WG 35, 7km fr Wadi Sora II, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 # 41.JPG
White cattle overlaid upon pale giraffes, Site WG 35, 7km fr Wadi Sora II, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 # 24.JPG
Headless Cow Shelter, Site WG 35, 7km fr Wadi Sora II, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 # 26.JPG
Headless Cow Shelter, Site WG 35, 7km fr Wadi Sora II, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 # 55.JPG
Headless Cow Shelter, Site WG 35, 7km fr Wadi Sora II, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 # 27.JPG
White, red & yellow cattle, Site WG 35, 7km fr Wadi Sora II, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 # 25.JPG
Headless Cow Shelter, Site WG 35, 7km fr Wadi Sora II, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 # 54.JPG
Headless Cow Shelter, Site WG 35, 7km fr Wadi Sora II, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 # 30.JPG
Headless Cow Shelter, Site WG 35, 7km fr Wadi Sora II, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 # 29.JPG
Archer in front of possible woman with red cows, Site WG 35, 7km fr Wadi Sora II, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 # 28.JPG
Headless Cow Shelter, Site WG 35, 7km fr Wadi Sora II, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 # 31.JPG
Headless Cow Shelter, Site WG 35, 7km fr Wadi Sora II, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 # 37.JPG
Lone archer, Headless Cow Shelter, Site WG 35, 7km fr Wadi Sora II, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 # 34.JPG
Archer & white bovid, Headless Cow Shelter, Site WG 35, 7km fr Wadi Sora II, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 # 59.JPG
Eroded bovid, Headless Cow Shelter, Site WG 35, 7km fr Wadi Sora II, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 # 36.JPG
Headless Cow Shelter, Site WG 35, 7km fr Wadi Sora II, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 # 42.JPG
Headless Cow Shelter, Site WG 35, 7km fr Wadi Sora II, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 # 45.JPG
Headless Cow Shelter, Site WG 35, 7km fr Wadi Sora II, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 # 63.JPG
Giant red bovid & small white cattle, Headless Cow Shelter, Site WG 35, 7km fr Wadi Sora II, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 # 62.JPG
Large red bovid & white cattle, Cow Shelter, Site WG 35, 7km fr Wadi Sora II, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 # 38.JPG
Big red bovid & white cattle, Headless Cow Shelter, Site WG 35, 7km fr Wadi Sora II, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 # 39.JPG
Headless Cow Shelter, Site WG 35, 7km fr Wadi Sora II, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 # 44.JPG
Archer, Headless Cow Shelter, Site WG 35, 7km fr Wadi Sora II, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 # 61.JPG
Headless Cow Shelter, Site WG 35, 7km fr Wadi Sora II, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 # 43.JPG
Datable wasp nest from wet phase, Headless Cow Shelter, Site WG 35, 7km fr Wadi Sora II, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 # 46.JPG
Datable wasp nest from wet phase, Headless Cow Shelter, Site WG 35, 7km fr Wadi Sora II, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 # 47.JPG
Datable wasp nest from wet phase, Headless Cow Shelter, Site WG 35, 7km fr Wadi Sora II, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 # 48.JPG
Datable wasp nest from wet phase, Headless Cow Shelter, Site WG 35, 7km fr Wadi Sora II, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 # 49.JPG
Headless Cow Shelter, Site WG 35, 7km fr Wadi Sora II, Gilf Kebir, Egypt © Duncan Caldwell 2006 # 250.JPG

Site WG 35, Wadi Sora, Gilf Kebir, Egypt

A site with at least two phases: An older one with large wild animals & a newer one with domestic cattle.

 

 

I call Site WG 35 in the Wadi Sora (Gilf Kebir, Egypt), the Headless Cow Shelter, because of its acephalic white bovids, but the imagery actually represents at least two periods. The first one, which is represented by such pale figures as a set of giraffes, is probably contemporaneous with the Cave of the Headless Beasts, which is about 7 km away. The more recent paintings lie on top of the paler ones and represent domestic cattle and archers, suggesting that the original culture in the area was replaced by a pastoralist one.


For more information see Emmanuelle Honoré’s 2008 article “The Shelter of Headless Bovines: A Study of Wg 35 (Gilf el Kebir, Egypt)”.