Today this area is largely uninhabitable but during ancient times higher levels of humidity allowed vegetation and human habitation, though the climate was still very unstable. The first peoples believed to have created rock art in this region is the Early Acacus people that settled the massifs in Tadrart Acacus. They occupied the area seasonally with task specific strategy of hunting the indigenous sheep. The earliest rock art, wild fuana, is thought to have been done by this group of people. It consists entirely of engravings of animals carved into stone walls (Gallinaro 2013, 350-82).

Between 8900-7400 BP a new group of hunter/gatherer/fishers occupied the area. They hunted the sheep and foraged the plants. They used the land differently with an introduction of pottery and stone grinders. This group of people is thought to have been responsible for the round head art. This art consists of anthropomorphic figures with rounded heads, it includes scenes of hunting and ritual dancing (Gallinaro 2013, 350-82).

There were then two phases of pastoralism. The first from 7400-6400 BP they occupied the land for long periods living in rock shelters and caves. They exploited cattle. Second was during the 6th millennium and they were much more permanent in the landscape. Climate drying caused a greater emphasis on cattle and less on plants. these two groups are associated with pastoral rock art, paintings depicting domestic cattle, milking, and other daily activities of the pastoral groups (Gallinaro 2013, 350-82).

Horse rock art is associated with the Garamantian culture, a later more sophisticated pastoral group. It depicts the riding and domestication of horses, used in battle scenes. Camel rock art tends to be associated with the end of the Garamantian period (Gallinaro 2013, 360-361)

Map of where site is located in Libya: 
(UNESCO)