Petroglyphs and Inscriptions along the Darb Ain Amur, Kharga Oasis

This short article contains the result of the first exploration of part of the Darb 'Ayn Amur, one of the two caravan routes that connected the Oases of Dakhla and Kharga. The prehistoric, Greek and Arab material collected along the way finds many parallels in the body of graffiti, rock-drawings and inscriptions recorded elsewhere in the Western Desert, and confirms that the track was used by travellers of all periods. The presence of Old Kingdom graffiti, instead, proves particularly important not only because very little is known about Kharga during this period, but also because the palaeography corresponds to the period of maximum expansion of the powerful Old Kingdom settlement at 'Ayn Asil in Dakhla, thus prompting further research about the relationship between the two oases.