An unearthed ancient seabed that looks like an ‘alien planet’ stretches a whopping 62,000 square kilometres.
Seen from Google Earth, this part of the Sahara Desert is one of the most difficult places to reach on the planet.
While there are some strange and unexplained ruins situated in the desert - including the fortress Ksaar Dra which is located in Algeria, the Ennedi Plateau in northeast Chad is considered to be one of the hottest and most desolate parts.
And according to a video uploaded to YouTube by thePOVchannel, it contains a plateau of ‘alien rock formations’.
The video explains: “It is about 24,000 square miles in area or about the size of Switzerland.
Advert
“Only pictures can demonstrate the mind bending geology which is a result of it being an ancient seabed that was uplifted millions of years ago. There are parts of it that look like infinite mazes of rock.
“There are parts that look like the surface of an alien planet and there are oases in the canyons where water supports tiny pockets of life and rare species like the endangered Sahara crocodile.”
There isn’t much known about the civilization who drew art onto the rocks but experts have been able to date it from around 5,000 BCE onwards.
Advert
Throughout the area, there are thousands of paintings of both humans and animals.
However, one element of the art which has puzzled archeologists is that there is little to no representation of the hunter-gatherer roles.
The video continues: “There are said to be rock formations deep in the labyrinths here that take on every shape imaginable, like animal faces and humanoid figures.
“On the sandstone walls exists the artwork of ancient humans dating back 12,000 years ago depicting animals that no longer live here like giraffes, antelope and elephants.
Advert
“This points towards something incredible, the whole area was once a lush water-filled paradise. Now imagine these rock formations but surrounded by dense vegetation covered in vines, flocks of birds and animals of all kinds, this is how the Ennedi once looked before the Sahara dried up and people were there to witness it.
“It may have been home to a thriving civilization even though it may be one of the most beautiful places on the planet, it is estimated that over 75% of it remains unexplored to this day. It is one of the hottest places on Earth. Reaching this place would be a serious challenge.”