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The Mysterious People That Lived in the Green Sahara
For almost 10,000 years, this was a land filled with lakes, rivers, and forests. But what happened to its people?
The Sahara Desert is a desolate place, and for thousands of years, it acted as an impassable barrier dividing humans, animals, and even plants. But it wasn’t always like this. The Sahara desert was once green and lush with freshwater lakes the size of countries, fast-flowing rivers that cascaded down valleys, and forests so dense that you’d think you were in the Amazon.
But then, something changed. The water basins dried up, the trees shrivelled away, and the rolling green hills transformed into an inhospitable wasteland. How did it go from being a paradise to a scorching hell?
Scientists have discovered that roughly every 20,000 years, the Earth shifts its axis, meaning that over the last 240,000 years, the Sahara has gone through multiple periods of wet and dry climates.
The last ‘green’ period ended around 5,000 years ago and led to the growing desertification of the region. Unfortunately, that’s the period we’re in now, and it’ll last for yet another 10,000 years.
But for those that lived in the Sahara during the ‘green’ period, what was life like? What would they have seen around them, and where did they go when everything around them began to transform into parched sand?
What Was the Green Sahara Like?
The river Nile has been the lifeblood of many civilisations. It’s among the most fertile lands in North Africa and throughout history has fed Egypt, Rome, and Persia.
Although the Nile did exist 10,000 years ago during the Green Sahara period, there was also another lesser-known river.
French researchers have hypothesised that a 500km (320 miles) long river once stretched across the western Sahara, a land that today possesses no such river. It would’ve ranked as the world’s 12th largest drainage basin if it was still around today.
However, that’s not to say that the water won’t return. Over the last 200,000 years, it’s held water at least nine times!
