Abstract:
During the 1930s, French Captain M. Bernans made several scientific expeditions to the TassiliN-Ajjer Plateau and its environs in the central Sahara in North Africa, where there are thousands
of paintings and engravings dating back to Neolithic, around the eighth millennium.
The administration of the Museum of Man subsequently sent the reports of these missions to a
very famous religious man named L'Abbé Henri Breuil, who decided to postpone these drawings
by an old friend, Jean Bouyssonie.
Breuil's study focused on the interpretation of the scenes and human groups presented. According
to him, the author readily acknowledges his experience in deciphering painted rocks, even to the
extent of being able to understand the artistic mindset of the creators of these frescoes.
In reality, the influence of his European and religious or Christian culture on his interpretations of
Saharan-African paintings, which are far from being related to his own culture, will easily trap this
decipherer!
Today, as specialists, we will re-examine some scenes deciphered by Breuil, focusing on his
subjectivity, interpretation, and cultural judgment. However, he remains far from being accepted
by specialists today
