The Lost City Under the Sahara – Was It Once Green and Thriving?

Introduction

The Sahara Desert is the world’s largest hot desert, stretching over 9 million square kilometers across North Africa. Today, it is an unforgiving landscape of sand dunes, rocky plateaus, and extreme heat. But geological and archaeological evidence suggests that this vast expanse was not always barren.

Recent studies hint at the existence of a lost city beneath the Sahara, a civilization that may have thrived when the region was lush and fertile. Could a forgotten city, once green and thriving, lie hidden under the sands? And what does this tell us about ancient human history?

The Sahara: From Green Lands to Desert

Approximately 10,000 years ago, during the Holocene Wet Phase, the Sahara was a very different place.

• Rivers and lakes flowed across the landscape.
• Savannahs and grasslands supported large herds of animals.
• Early humans lived in abundance, hunting, fishing, and farming.

Climate records from satellite imagery and sediment cores show patterns of rainfall that created habitable conditions long before the desert we know today formed.

This period of greenery may have allowed ancient civilizations to establish settlements in areas now completely covered by sand.

Evidence of Ancient Settlements

Archaeologists and geologists have uncovered several clues suggesting human habitation in the Sahara:

1. Fossilized Tools and Artifacts

Stone tools, pottery fragments, and remnants of dwellings have been found in the central Sahara, indicating that humans lived and worked in this region thousands of years ago.

2. Rock Art and Cave Paintings

The Sahara is home to some of the world’s most remarkable prehistoric rock art, depicting:

• Large herds of animals like giraffes, elephants, and cattle
• People hunting and performing rituals
• Boats navigating rivers

These images suggest not only the presence of humans but also a rich, organized culture.

3. Satellite Discoveries

Recent use of satellite imagery and remote sensing technology has revealed what may be the foundations of ancient cities beneath the desert sands. Features resembling walls, streets, and circular structures have been identified in areas like Mauritania, Libya, and southern Algeria.

Some researchers speculate that these could represent remnants of lost cities or towns, buried over millennia by shifting sands and climate change.

The Sahara Pump Theory

Scientists use the Sahara Pump Theory to explain how people migrated in response to climate changes. According to this theory:

• During wet periods, humans moved into the Sahara, establishing communities and cultivating land.
• As rainfall decreased, the desert expanded, forcing populations to migrate south or east.

This cyclical pattern of wet and dry periods could explain why a once-thriving city might now be hidden under the desert — it was abandoned and buried by shifting sands.