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Sunday, August 12, 2012

Archaeology: The Cave Swimmers of Gilf Kebir

Last night I saw the movie The English Patient.  It was released, I think, in 1996, but I'd never seen it nor have I read the novel.

I was fascinated by the Cave of Swimmers in Gilf Kebir, discovered by the Hungarian Count Laszlo Almasy, so I want to learn about this cave art and also about the Count.   Through Goodreads, I managed to find a book about the Count:


The Secret Life of Laszlo Almasy: The Real English Patient by John Bierman, however, I've only found one book, by Miroslav Barta, about the Cave of Swimmers, see below. 

I've learned that there's a chapter dedicated to the Cave of Swimmers in a book titled The Unknown Sahara by Count Laszlo Almasy.  This book was published in Hungarian in 1935, but an English translation on CD is available through:  Laszlo Almasy's writings in English.  

This is a recent book about the Cave of Swimmers:
Swimmers in the Sand: On the Neolithic Origins of Ancient Egyptian Mythology and Symbolism
Author:  Miroslav Barta
Photographs by Martin Frouz
ISBN is 978-80-87025-26-0
112pp, published April 2010 by Dryada, Prague

I found a review of this book on a wonderful blog called The Archaeology of Egypt's Deserts.  Does anyone know if this book is available in English, and if so, where it can be obtained?  Also, if you happen to know of any other books that are available regarding the Cave of Swimmers of Gilf Kebir, please let me know.
Would love to hear from you!


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